JP seeks pay raise; Sallie Gonzalez wants $12K salary increase

BROWNSVILLE — At least one elected official plans to file a grievance over her salary, although Cameron County Commissioners Court has said there is no money for salary increases.
Sallie Gonzalez, justice of the peace for Precinct 5, Place, 1, sent a letter Wednesday to County Judge Carlos H. Cascos saying she wants to plead for a pay raise before the grievance committee. Cascos is the non-voting head of the committee.
Gonzalez’s current annual salary is $44,848. She is seeking a $12,000 increase that would put her at $56,848 per year.
Because Commissioners Court voted not to give salary increases to elected officials, state law allows such officials to file a grievance before a nine–member grievance committee to state why they believe they deserve a pay raise.
The nine members and nine alternates of the grievance committee were chosen randomly at a recent Commissioners Court meeting. The committee is drawn from the registered voters who served on the grand jury last year.
Gonzalez said she does not believe her chances of getting the raise are good because the county has no money, but hopes the grievance committee will listen to her reasons why she deserves an increase and give her something.
“I am just going on my merits, my caseloads and the amount of money I am bringing into the county,” Gonzalez said Thursday. “I am bringing on and beyond what any of the other JPs are doing.”
She said her office has brought in more than $780,000 in revenue for the county.
Gonzalez also cited her tenure with the county: 20 years as an elected official and 16 years as a county employee.
“It was a very hard decision to make,” Gonzalez said about her decision to file a grievance. “But I felt that my cases and what I am having to conduct on a monthly basis in our office should at least merit me a raise of some sort.”
The county judge’s office is awaiting word from two other elected officials, who have yet to state whether they will file grievances, officials said.
Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Bennie Ochoa and Precinct 3 Constable Joe Cavazos have been given until Monday to reply because they received the grievance notices late.
All 28 elected officials were provided with grievance letters and informed of their right to file a grievance, officials said.
As of Thursday, no date had been scheduled for the grievance hearing.