The Gray County Commissioners held the constable portion of the ongoing budget workshop with a special meeting on Friday morning.
The discussion was heated at times as the gossip mill resulted in a misunderstanding concerning the constables salaries.
County Judge Chris Porter provided the commissioners and constables a salary comparison between Gray County and other counties of it’s population and budget.
“When I first brought this out 30 days ago, this was not suggested or a recommendation,” Porter said. “It says proposed salary at the bottom of it, but I didn’t know how else to put that down as to what we need to do.”
Removing the top and bottom salaries, the average salaries of constables in counties similar to Gray County $24,805 (Dewitt, Freestone, Hockley, Tyler, Willacy and Young Counties). Gray County’s constables are paid $34,061.
“When that came up 30 days ago, I said I was going to increase the values of some of these positions or we are going to have to figure out what we’re going to do,” Porter said. “At no point in time did I ever say I was going to lower somebody’s salary. At no point in time did I ever say I was going to cut somebody’s responsibilities or their salaries.
“But all I’ve heard in the last 30 days is the County Judge is coming after our salaries. My wife has put up with this, I’ve put up with this.”
Constable Jason Rushing and Porter disputed what was said between the two. Porter later presented the Court with “unsolicited” hours provided to him by Constable Joe Montgomery.
Whether or not the hours were asked for by Porter was also disputed amongst the two later in the meeting. Regardless of whether or not they were asked for, Montgomery said he stood by what was provided to Porter.
“(Total after breakdown) equals 449.5 hours,” Porter said.
“The standard yearly work hours is 2,080 vs. the reported hours of Constable Montgomery at 449.5 hours is 21.6 percent of hours worked available. The salary and longevity of Constable Montgomery is $38,287 divided by 449.5 is $85.18/hour is what he is paid for service.”
Porter then broke down a comparison of what each of the similar counties’ Constables duties entail.
“Where I was heading with this is how do we increase value for your jobs to justify your salaries?,” Porter said.
Porter suggested to the Commission and Constables to rotate with their Justice of the Peace, three hours of elementary school presence three times/week somewhere in the County and transports for mental commitments, extradition, inmate transport (using GCSO vehicles) and serving tax citations.
Montgomery initially said “No” to the requests while Jason Rushing said they do serve tax citations (and that he already works with the schools) and that he was okay with the requests.
Rushing also explained that the Constables are working with Pampa Independent School District to handle truancies.
The Constables and Porter had a back-and-forth about what was being said and the salary paid to the Constables.
“It’s an elected position but it’s never been a complete full-time position, just like the commissioners,” Rushing said. “Most constables work other jobs full-time, kind of like the commissioners. It’s always been that.
“So I try to put in anywhere from 20-35 hours. Last week I put in 37 hours. I was called out and it was more like a public service but you go when you’re called out.”
Rushing and Porter again disputed whether Porter said he was going to lower their salaries. Porter noted the “unsolicited” hours from Montgomery, with Montgomery citing the pandemic as to why they were so low.
“So, we double it and it’s still not a full-time job,” Porter said. “You can sit here and say, ‘No, I’m not doing this all you want.’”
Montgomery again said he wasn’t going to do the suggested new duties.
Commissioner Jeff Haley asked why Montgomery refuses to take on the new duties. When pressed, Montgomery said he does all that is required and said he doesn’t write everything down, even if it’s above and beyond what their normal duties are.
By the end of the topic, Montgomery said he was willing to do whatever was asked of him.
Rushing added that some of the duties, including carry-out evictions, could take anywhere from two to eight hours.
Porter read an e-mail conversation between he and Montgomery about how long the various services provided by the constables take.
“It’s serving the papers, not doing the job afterward,” Montgomery said.
When the topic was brought up again in the meeting by Haley, both constables admitted the hours sheet “looked bad.”
“When we have an unsolicited report from Joe detailing the hours (it looks bad),” Haley said. “We’re sitting here contemplating taxing citizens for these positions and allocating this money. This is evidence we have to answer to in this court.
“This is your own figures you stood by this morning and we go out there in the public and they may ask, ‘What were y’all thinking? What are you doing with our money?’ That’s the reason for this exercise.”
Montgomery said it doesn’t account for county road patrolling, to which Haley replied with “We have what you provided us.”
Porter emphasized that it isn’t, nor was it ever, his intention to reduce salaries. As a potential remedy, Porter suggested Constable Rushing coordinate through Haley and Commissioner Lake Arrington and Constable Montgomery coordinate through Commissioners Logan Hudson and John Mark Baggerman should they have any concerns or ideas.
Porter also stressed he did not ask for the numbers from Montgomery citing the initial e-mail on Dec. 30, 2021 with the service calls from Montgomery. The e-mail conversation started with Montgomery presenting his service calls. In a reply, Porter asked about the process various types of call takes, which Montgomery answered.
Montgomery said Porter did ask for the numbers, which started a back-and-forth between the two as to whether or not Porter asked for the figures.
Back to an earlier piece of the discussion, Porter continued to emphasize it was never his intention to reduce salaries.
“I’m trying to add value to your jobs that way nobody can come in here and say, ‘Hey, let’s reduce salaries,’” Porter said. “I’ll admit to both of you, I was pissed and am still upset over the way my wife has been treated and things I’ve heard from people I trust and rely on that they are telling me the truth.”
Porter noted it’s not about making positions average, pointing to how much the average salary is for a county judge in similar counties ($70,751) and his is ($58,723) and that he isn’t asking to make his the average.
“I don’t think it’s right for me to ask for a raise,” Porter said. “But that’s what the average is and that’s what I was asked to give. I’m not going to skew data and hold data off of this. I’m going to give them (the Commissioners) the facts and let them make the decision.
“I don’t have a vote in this, I’m just a tie-breaker. This is their court. The budget process is a long process. We have to look at the entire County.”
Porter proceeded to give Rushing credit for the work he does.
“I have no problem with what you do,” Porter said. “None. You’re proactive. Every time you’re asked to do something you do it. I understand you work a 60/hour/week job.
“But this has been blown completely out of proportion. I helped do some of it because I got mad.”
The Commissioners and Constables discussed vehicle allowances with both Constables against the notion. While both constables say they use their personal vehicles for serving papers, the perception of a police vehicle in more intense situations carries more weight.
The discussion then moved toward individual line items in their budget and moving numbers around.
As this is a budget workshop, not an actual action item, nothing is final until the budget is approved at the end of July.
