Bexar County Commissioners voted Tuesday to as soon as once more increase their very own salaries, bringing Bexar County Choose Peter Sakai’s wage from about $205,000 to just about $209,000 per yr for the 2026 fiscal yr.
The county’s 4 commissioners will make about $165,000 per yr, together with a $9,000 per yr automobile allowance. The county decide additionally receives govt safety element, which supplies his transportation.
Bexar County’s common family earnings was $82,500 in 2025, in keeping with county knowledge.
County commissioners usually meet twice per thirty days, and are allowed to have jobs exterior of serving on the court docket.
Not like Metropolis Council members, County Commissioners don’t want voters’ permission to extend their very own salaries as a result of the Texas Structure and native authorities code offers them that authority.
In consequence, San Antonio Metropolis Council salaries are about $100,000 per yr decrease than their county counterparts. In 2024, Metropolis Council members went from making $45,700 per yr to $70,200 per yr, after voters accepted the change in November.
Committee beneficial will increase
To create a ways from the choice, Bexar County leaders created a Residents Advisory Committee on Elected Officers’ Salaries and Allowance in 2023 to advocate modifications.
Its members are appointed by the commissioners, and the committee met 4 occasions this yr to contemplate peer elected official salaries in peer counties, wage traits and comparisons to personal sector salaries.
The committee in the end beneficial 2% raises for many elected officers — mirroring the price of dwelling will increase being proposed for county staff within the 2025-2026 fiscal yr finances.
Along with the county commissioners, the increase would apply to the district legal professional, the county clerk, the district clerk, the tax assessor-collector, justices of the peace and probate court docket judges. Greater raises have been advised for the Bexar County Sheriff and constables, who the committee stated make lower than their counterparts in different Texas counties.
Not like previous years, top-line wage suggestions for many positions weren’t included within the presentation. County spokeswoman Monica Ramos stated they’d be included within the general county finances doc when commissioners approve it subsequent month.
The San Antonio Report estimated the brand new numbers primarily based on the present salaries and the accepted price of enhance.
Commissioners had various reactions to the suggestions on Tuesday, however voted unanimously to approve the modifications. The brand new fiscal yr begins Oct. 1.
Pointing to the county’s estimates, Sakai stated taxpayers can be paying a complete of about $100,000 per yr for the elected official raises — not together with state-mandated raises for elected judges.
“I hope the taxpayers perceive that I’m not asking for this,” stated Sakai, who was a civil district decide earlier than he was elected Bexar County Choose in 2022. “That is one thing that’s embedded in a course of.”
How commissioners responded
Commissioner Justin Rodriguez (Pct. 2) stated Tuesday that he would favor that shifting ahead, elected officers’ value of dwelling changes not be primarily based on employees wage modifications, since most employees members make considerably much less cash than the commissioners do.
Final yr the committee beneficial 5% elected official raises, which might have been greater than the three% raises beneficial for employees, and commissioners voted to cut back their increase to match the speed being supplied to staff.
“I’d prefer to untie the 2,” stated Rodriguez, who works as an legal professional along with serving on the court docket. “I’m not dedicated to no matter staff get, now we have to get. In reality, … perhaps our staff deserve a little bit bit extra.”
Likewise, Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores (Pct. 1) stated employees raises are nonetheless up for negotiation all through the finances course of, and she or he hoped they wouldn’t be restricted to the two% commissioners agreed to for themselves.
Clay-Flores has a background in schooling, however doesn’t have a job exterior of commissioners court docket.
Commissioners Tommy Calvert (Pct. 4) and Grant Moody (Pct. 3) each stated the committee’s work was a welcome change from the times when commissioners have been tasked with recommending their very own raises.
That course of led to broadly completely different salaries for various commissioners as a result of some turned down raises in robust finances years, and raises declined by one commissioner meant their decrease wage was handed all the way down to the subsequent official elected to that seat.
It additionally put Bexar County elected official salaries decrease than another counties, as a result of they skipped raises in years with tight budgets.
The 2026 fiscal yr finances doesn’t at the moment embrace massive cuts, however a finances “cliff” is projected in 2028 if cuts aren’t made to packages added with federal pandemic funding.
“We have been considerably behind, and once more, I’m glad we type of standardized this throughout the board,” stated Moody, who was amongst these making lower than others when he was first elected. Along with commissioners court docket, Moody serves within the U.S. Marine Reserves.
Calvert, who has a consulting enterprise exterior of commissioners court docket, advised well-paid elected officers would assist promote greater salaries throughout the county.
“We have been very behind… and it ripples all the way down to your whole employees in case your prime is underpaid,” Calvert stated.
