Texas local government salary, 2008-2011

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Texas local government salary data is public record.

Cities

Sunshine Review reviewed San Antonio employee salary data as of January 1 for years 2008 to 2011. There were nine employees earning over $150,000 in 2008, 19 employees in 2009 and 2010, and 22 in 2011. The total cost of the top 22 salaries in 2011 was $3,812,636.

According to The Texas Tribune, Houston had a total of 17,591 employees at an annual salary cost of $888,942,237 in 2011. The average salary was $50,533 and the highest salary was $238,254, for the EMS Physician Director.

Counties

In 2010 there were 51 Harris County employees earning over $150,000 in salary and nine employees earning more than $200,000 annually. Employees in three county positions garnered salaries of $289,308, the highest earnings in the county. There were 505 employees earning more than $100,000.

• The Director of Infrastructure and County Engineer, Chief Medical Examiner and Director of Public Health all earned $289,308.
• The county Executive Director for Correction Health Services earned $251,556 annually.

According to The Texas Tribune, Dallas County had a total of 6,642 employees in 2011.

• The median salary was $39,540.
• The highest salary was $247,687 for Jeffrey J Barnard, the Director, Institute Forensic Sciences.
• The lowest salary was $20,134.
• There were four employees earning over $150,000 a year.

School districts

For the Houston Independent School District in 2011, 18 employees earned more than $150,000, with an average salary of $176,507.

• The highest paid employee was Superintendent Terry Grier with an annual salary of $300,000.
• Richard Patton, the district's e-Rate Compliance Office, was the lowest paid of the group with $150,000.
• The total cost of the 18 employees was $3,177,136.08.

Law enforcement

According to The Texas Tribune, the Harris County Sheriff's Department had a total of 3,670 employees in 2011. The median salary was $50,876 and the highest salary was $251,555 for the Executive Director of Correctional Health Services.

Parole and probation officers

Texas' prison, parole and probation officers collectively made $2.8 billion.

Fire departments

The Houston Fire Department had a total of 3,944 employees at an annual salary cost of $229,057,470 in 2011. Houston Fire Department salaries are public records under the Texas Public Information Act. The average salary was $58,077 and the highest salary was $238,254 for the EMS Physician Director. There were four employees earning over $150,000 a year.

Public utilities

Even though public utilities traditionally do not release salary information, CPS Energy in San Antonio released its top salaries. The report revealed the top 18 executives earned more than $4.2 million collectively, with the CEO Doyle Beneby earning a base salary of $360,000.

Bryan Texas Utilities also planned to release its executives salary data, after debating it for more than a year..

Salary articles

In 2011, Sunshine Review requested salary information from 19 local governments in the state.

Cities

• San Antonio
• Houston

Counties

• Harris County
• Dallas County
• Tarrant County
• Bexar County

School district

• Houston Independent School District
• Dallas Independent School District
• Austin Independent School
• Fort Worth Independent School District

Law enforcement

• Harris County Sheriff's Office, Texas
• Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, Texas
• Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, Texas
• Bexar County Sheriff's Office, Texas
• San Antonio Police Department, Texas
• Houston Police Department, Texas
• Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas

Fire

• San Antonio Fire Department, Texas
• Houston Fire Department, Texas

Salary records project

In 2011, Sunshine Review chose 152 local governments as the focus of research on public employee salaries. The editors of Sunshine Review selected eight states with relevant political contexts (listed alphabetically):

1. California
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. New Jersey
6. Pennsylvania
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin

Within these states, the editors of Sunshine Review focused on the most populous cities, counties and school districts, as well as the emergency services entities within these governments. The purpose of this selection method was to develop articles on governments affecting the most citizens.

The salary information garnered from these states were a combination of existing online resources and state Freedom of Information Act requests sent out to the governments.

A study published by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia said the city of Philadelphia faced challenges owing to the cost of public employee pensions. The report claimed the amount that Philadelphia paid to pension recipients limited the city’s ability to use its budget effectively.

The report said there were more individuals receiving pension benefits—33,907 claimants in 2006—than workers in the city—28,701. The authors recommended three steps towards addressing the problem of high costs in pensions: improved data collection, expanded transparency initiatives, and reductions to the city's overall budget.

Salary schedules can be published as ranges, not as specific compensation figures, and may leave out compensation received through health and retirement benefits, as well as benefits such as commuter allowances and cell phone reimbursements. This project aimed to close the gap and provide a more accurate picture of public employee salaries for the sake of public education and transparency.

See also

• Texas public pensions
• Texas state government salary

External links

• Out of Balance? Comparing Public and Private Sector Compensation of 20 Years, Center for State & Local Government Excellence, 2010
• Public Employee Salaries, Texas Budget Source, 2011
• Employees and Salaries, TexasPolitics.com, 2011
• "New Dallas-Ft. Worth Website Posts City Employees’ Salaries Online, Pegasus News, August 10, 2009
• 2011 Government Employee Salaries, Texas Tribune
• "Texas last in benefits for public employees -- but government employees’ packages still beat private sector in all but 6 states," Texas Watchdog, March 3, 2011
• Mitch Daniels says government workers in 41 states make more than taxpayers who support them, PolitiFact--Texas, 2011
• "Are city employees salaries public information or are they protected for personal privacy?, Texas Center for Community Journalism