Burnet County proposes cost-of-living raises for elected officials, staff
As the Burnet County budget for the upcoming fiscal year nears approval, elected officials are looking at 2.7-percent cost-of-living raises.
The pay increases are part of the proposed 2025-26 budget, which the Burnet County Commissioners Court is expected to discuss and possibly adopt, along with a new tax rate, on Sept. 9. This year’s proposed raises for elected officials are significantly less than last year’s 6-percent-plus bumps.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery proposed 2.7-percent for most elected officials based on year-to-date data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows a 2.7-percent increase on the Consumer Price Index from July 2024 to July 2025. The CPI measures cost-of-living expenses such as housing, food, and transportation.
“I don’t think that anybody is working for the same dollar that they were last year,” Dockery told DailyTrib.com.
The court, which includes Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther, Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle, and Precinct 3 Commissioner Chad Collier, voted unanimously to approve Dockery’s motion. Burnet County Judge Bryan Wilson, as the chairman of the court, elected not to vote on the matter.
County employees are also set to receive raises of at least 2.7 percent.
The only elected official who would get more than a 2.7-percent raise is Burnet County Attorney Eddie Arredondo, who could see a 37 percent salary increase of $45,133.33, from $121,566.77 a year to $166,700.
According to County Judge Wilson, the huge salary leap is to keep the county attorney’s office on par with the pay of similar offices in the county, like the district attorney’s office or the county court at law, which all saw large, state-mandated increases this year. For example, the state-appointed public defender for Burnet County received a large pay raise from $126,509.50 to $166,000. In this case, the county has to pay $147,740 of that total salary.
Wilson, who was appointed as county judge in March, has consistently pitched a conservative budget and tax rate, but deferred to his fellow members of the Commissioners Court when it came to the proposed cost-of-living raises.
“As the new budget officer, I gave a lot of leeway to those that have been doing it longer than me,” he told DailyTrib.com.
The salaries of elected officials caused a stir in 2024, when former county Judge James Oakley pitched different versions of the budget that would have given sizable raises to a variety of offices. Ultimately, backlash from the public and other county officials reduced the proposed raises to 6 percent across the board, except for the sheriff, who received a 16.41-percent increase, and the county constables, who saw 17.95-percent pay raises to bring them closer to the salary of a justice of the peace.
Peruse the salaries of Burnet County elected officials and employees at govsalaries.com/salaries/TX/burnet-county.
Proposed 2025-26 raises for Burnet County elected officials
County Attorney—$45,133.23
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$114,598.90
- 2024-25—$121,566.77
- 2025-26—$166,700.00
County Sheriff—$3,011.96
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$105,159.08
- 2024-24—$111,553.04
- 2025-26—$114,564.97
County Judge—$3,060.12
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$106,841.80
- 2024-25—$113,337.88
- 2025-26—$116,398
District Clerk—$2,666.10
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$93,084.68
- 2024-25—$98,744.45
- 2025-26—$101,410.55
County Clerk—$2,666.10
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$93,084.68
- 2024-25—$98,744.45
- 2025-26—$101,410.55
Tax Assessor—$2,666.10
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$93,084.68
- 2024-25—$98,744.45
- 2025-26—$101,410.55
County Treasurer—$2,666.10
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$93,084.68
- 2024-25—$98,744.45
- 2025-26—$101,410.55
County Commissioners Precincts 1-4—$2,585.05
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$90,255.10
- 2024-25—$95,742.83
- 2025-26—$98,327.88
Justices of the Peace—$2,444.63
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$85,352.28
- 2024-25—$90,541.69
- 2025-26—$92,986.31
Constables—$2,350.86
Salary over the years:
- 2023-24—$74,026.42
- 2024-25—$87,072.39
- 2025-26—$89,423.00