Jacksboro PD, JCSO work on pay scale

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Jack County Sheriff’s Department have worked with the Jacksboro Police Department to develop a pay scale.

This working together came out of Wednesday’s commissioner’s court budget workshop where the process of getting deputies a pay scale that will have them paid similarly to area law enforcement agencies.

Jacksboro Police Chief Scott Haynes and officials from the Sheriff’s Department put together three different scales, with increases anywhere from 3% to 8% across the board. The one that was recommended was a plan that took the present JPD scale and added 5% to it. Ranges from deputies now range from $41,900 to $50,400 spending on what step they are on. The differences between steps is a flat 3%, Haynes said.

“We brought you guys something that we thought was fair,” Haynes explained.

Commissioners liked the proposal, agreeing that it brought pay in the department to a competitive level. Precinct 1 Commissioner Gary Oliver said guidelines on the steps need to be adhered to, to avoid getting back to where the department was.

JCSO dispatch and jailers also will be getting raises. Jack County Judge Keith Umphress said he spoke with several area judges at a recent conference and found the average was about five percent.

Jack County Sheriff Thomas Spurlock said he liked the proposal, wanting to get his people up to a better pay scale which reduces the potential of people leaving.

In an attempt to help the JCSO keep its employees, Umphress offered a $10,000 raise for department employees, which had been a major point of contention the last several weeks. A proposal by Precinct 3 Commissioner Henry Birdwell had given that, split among two years.

Once the discussions with the Sheriff’s Department was over, Oliver and other elected officials wanted to discuss raises in their departments.

Oliver contended the county simply had one pie to cut from and not everyone was going to get what they wanted.

“I appreciate what they were trying to do but the raises were brought up too fast,” Oliver said. “That needed to be done over two years.”

District Clerk Tracie Pippin said there were several positions making more than elected officials such as County Clerk Vanessa James, herself and other elected officials.

She told the court she believed all elected officials should be on the same pay scale with the exception of Sheriff, County Judge and commissioners.

She eluded to the fact that Tax Assessor-Collector Sharon Robinson made about 10% more than other elected officials. That raise came last year after Robinson’s office began collecting all the taxes for the county.

James said she has watched other departments get increases over the years and her department get over looked.

Umphress said he will look at the budget over the weekend and try and address the issues.

The proposed tax rate of $0.5121 cents per $100 valuation was set to be approved Monday, but the budget does not have to be approved until 10 days after the tax rate, which would be Sept. 2. The budget goes into effect Oct. 1.