Jim Wells County Judge Pedro "Pete" Trevino Jr. and commissioners approved a five percent raise for all county employees, on Friday, Sept. 5th, as part of their 2026 operating budget discussions.
For the last seven years, Trevino and county commissioners have worked to keep the county in a surplus while addressing departmental needs.
"We're trying to get each department and each elected official what they need to go on through 2026. And God bless, I think we're able to able to accomplish that," Trevino said.
During budget meetings, county officials heard requests from various departments including the tax collector's office and sheriff's office about their needs for the upcoming year. Some requests were approved while others were not.
"It is important to have a balanced budget," Trevino said.
The judge explained that back in 2017, the county faced budget constraints that forced them to cut employees and reduce some remaining workers' salaries.
Commissioner Precinct 4 Wicho Gonzalez said officials have examined every department closely to address compensation concerns.
"How do these people make a living with some of the salaries we have? How do we attract people to come over here and work in our jails? How do we attract people to work in our road and bridge? When our salaries are so low, you know," Gonzalez said.
He emphasized that county officials appreciate their employees' work and are addressing the compensation gap.
"These are our residents from Jim Wells County. So, what we're trying to do is we're trying to get them paid as best we could," Trevino said.
County employees should expect to see their raises take effect January 1st.
The county judge and commissioners will meet again September 26th to discuss the county's tax rate, with Trevino expecting a vote during that meeting.
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