WILLIAMSON COUNTY
GEORGETOWN — Elected county officials can expect a two-percent increase in their paychecks for the upcoming year.
Williamson County commissioners approved the salary boost and an Emergency Medical Services request to apply for a swift water rescue boat during its weekly court session on Tuesday. Excluded from the raise are district judges, the district attorney and county employees that qualify for grant or supplemental funding.
Allen Frederick, chief people officer of Williamson County, explained that district judges and the district attorney get their salaries from two different sources – the state and the county. The state pays their “base salary” because they are also considered state employees.
“The supplement is additional, it can be paid by the county, but it’s not required,” Frederick said.
Frederick presented a historical summary of the county’s pay scale for the past three years, including cost of living adjustments. For the 2026 fiscal year, Williamson County employees will not receive a COLA, but Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey pointed out that during those three years, the county has approved 18% raise increases, including COLA.
Covey, Frederick and Williamson County Judge Steven Snell all mentioned the importance of employees being paid a competitive salary, with Frederick noting the county conducted a salary study process for that purpose.
According to the markets used in the study, a “two-percent increase still doesn’t get those positions to the median (salaries). They’ll still be behind,” Frederick said.
Frederick added that with the pay raise there will not be as big of a salary gap when they do the next study.
Other variables to be considered with employees’ salaries may include years of service or merit. In conjunction with the raises, the commissioners authorized sending out written notifications to the elected officials regarding their salary increases.
Also on the July 29 court’s docket, Precinct 1 and Precinct 2 commissioners Terry Cook and Cynthia Long were prepared to approve and second a motion for EMS to apply for a grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority that would provide them with a swift water rescue boat and personal protective gear. However, Covey wanted more information from EMS chief John Gonzales.
“I want to ask a few questions, not that I’m against it, I think it’s a good idea,” Covey said.
Covey was concerned about EMS working in partnership with other emergency responders. She also encouraged Gonzales to have every member of his team trained and prepared before there is another incident like the July 5 floods.
Gonzales assured Covey that more than half of his 14-member team was already trained and that they would be a part of a regional swift water rescue team.
“We wouldn’t be an independent agency doing our own thing. We’d work collectively with the group and our partners to ensure we have a strong, solid team ready to deploy whenever it’s needed,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales said during other floods that have occurred over the years, EMS had discussed obtaining its own swift water rescue boat. The July 5 flooding was a catalyst to continue moving forward with that idea, according to Gonzales.
The commissioners approved the request for EMS to apply for the grant.
In other court business, commissioners automatically approved agenda items 43 through 61 without discussion. Two of those items involved the approval of a total of $4 million paid out to Rifeline, LLC, an Austin community relations and public involvement firm.
Rifeline is to provide Williamson County with “public involvement, information and education services related to the implementation of various county road projects and other County infrastructure projects” for $200,000, according to the agenda. For $3.8 million, Rifeline will provide the same services as previously noted “related to the implementation of various county road bond and LTP corridor projects” for $3.8 million.
Commissioners court agendas, minutes and videos of weekly court sessions can be viewed at wilcotx.gov/331/ Commissioners- Court. Meetings are held every Tuesday, unless noted, at 9:30 a.m. in the Georgetown Courthouse at 710 S. Main St.
