Bexar County officials Approve salaryโ Increases for 2026
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San Antonio, TX – In a unanimousโ vote Tuesday, the Bexar County Commissioners Court authorized salary increases for themselves and several other county elected โฃofficials, set to take effect October 1, 2026.โฃ The decision follows recommendations from a citizen advisory committee and reflects a structured approach โto compensation forโข public service.
Understanding โคthe โApproved โขRaises
Bexarโ County Judge Peter Sakai will seeโข his โคannual salary rise from approximately $204,899 to $208,997. The four โCounty Commissioners will โฃeach recieve a salary of $165,375,โค which โฃincludes a $9,000โค annual car allowance.โฃ Theseโ adjustments come as โthe county navigates budgetary considerationsโค and aimsโ to align official compensation with regional economic factors.
larger โpercentage increases were โฃapproved for the bexar County Sheriff and Constables, positions the advisory committee determined were โunderpaid compared to similar roles in other Texas counties.Specifically, the Sheriff’s salary โwill increase by 7.11% toโข $193,320, while Constables will receive aโ 4.83% raise, โbringing their salaries to $128,580.
| position | Proposed Increase | Current Salary | FY 2026 Proposed Salary |
| Bexar County Judge | 2% | $204,899 | $208,997 |
| Bexar Countyโ Commissioner | 2% | $162,225 (includes auto โallowance) | $165,375 (includes auto allowance) |
| Sheriff | 7.11% | $180,481 | $193,320 |
| Constable | 4.83% | $122,660 | $128,580 |
The Role of โขthe Citizens Advisory Committee
In 2023, Bexar โCountyโ leaders established โthe โCitizens Advisory Committee on Elected Officials’ Salaries and Allowance to provide independent recommendationsโข on compensation. The committee,comprised of appointeesโ from the โCommissioners,convened four times this year to analyze salaries of comparable elected officials,wage trends,and private sector compensation data. Their final report recommended a 2%โ raise for โmost positions,โ mirroring proposed cost-of-living โadjustments for county employees in โthe 2025-2026 fiscal year budget.
Did โYou know? Unlike City Council members in San Antonio,โ County commissioners have the authority โto adjust their own salaries without voter approval, as outlined in the Texas Constitution and local goverment code.
Context and Comparison to City Council Salaries
The approved raises widenโ the gap between Bexar Countyโ Commissioners’ salaries and thoseโข of San Antonio city โฃCouncil members. Currently, County Commissioners earn โapproximately $100,000 more annually โขthan their city counterparts. In 2024, san Antonio โขCity Council members saw their salariesโค increase from $45,700 โto $70,200โ following voter approval of Proposition C.
Commissioners’ Reactions and Future Considerations
While the โvote was unanimous,Commissioners expressed varying perspectives. Commissioner Justin Rodriguez (Pct.โฃ 2) suggested decoupling โelected official โraises โขfrom employee cost-of-livingโฃ adjustments, notingโ that โคmost county staff earn significantly less. Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores (Pct.โฃ 1) emphasized the ongoingโ negotiation process for staff raises, hoping for increases beyond the 2% approved for electedโ officials.
Pro Tip: Understanding theโ interplay between countyโ and city government compensationโ structures can provide valuable insight into local governance and โขbudgetary priorities.
Commissionersโฃ Tommy Calvert (Pct. 4) and Grantโ Moodyโ (Pct. 3) praised the advisory committee’s work as โaโข positive step toward clarity and standardization. Theyโฃ highlighted how the committee’s recommendations addressed ancient disparities in salaries resulting from โขpast decisions to forgo raises โฃduringโ challenging budget years.
The 2026โ fiscal year budget does not anticipate important cuts, โขbut a potential “budgetโ cliff” looms โขin 2028 if funding for programs supported by โฃfederal pandemic aid is not addressed. The total cost to taxpayers for โthe โคelected official raises is estimated at approximately $100,000 annually, excluding state-mandated increases for judges.
“I hope theโฃ taxpayers understand that I’m not asking for this,” said โขJudge Sakai,โ emphasizing the procedural nature โฃof โขthe salary adjustments.”This is โฃsomething that’s embeddedโค in a process.”
What impact will these salary increases have on the county’s ability to address future โbudgetary challenges? And howโค will these changes affectโ the recruitment and retention of qualified individuals for electedโค positions?
The issue of public official compensation is a recurringโ theme in localโ governance across the United States.factors influencing these โคdecisions includeโค cost of living, economic conditions,โ the โscope of responsibilities, and theโฃ need to attract qualified candidates.โฃ Theโค trend towards independent salary reviewโฃ committees, like theโฃ one established in Bexar County, reflects a growing desire for transparency and objectivity in โขsetting public official pay. According to a 2023 report by the National League ofโ cities, approximately 60% of cities with populations overโ 50,000 utilize some โform of independent compensationโค review โprocessโข [National League of Cities Report].
Frequently Asked Questions About Bexar County official Salaries
- What is the primary โคkeyword? โค Theโ primary keywordโ is “Bexar โขCounty official salaries.”
- When do the new salaries take effect? Theโ salaryโฃ increases will take effect on October 1, 2026.
- Who approved theโ salary increases? The Bexar County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the increases.
- What โขrole โขdid the โขCitizens Advisory Committee play? The committee recommended the โฃsalary increases based on research and analysis of comparable positions.
- How do these salaries compare to San Antonio city โCouncil members? Bexar County Commissionersโฃ earn significantly moreโฃ than Sanโค Antonio City Council members.
- is there a potential โฃbudgetโค issue in the โคfuture? A potential “budget cliff” isโข projected in โ2028โ if funding for pandemic-era programs is not addressed.
We encourage you to share โขthis โarticle โคwith your network, โฃjoin the conversation in the comments below, and subscribe to our newsletter for more in-depth coverage of local news and governmentโข affairs.
