Department: Commissioner, Precinct 1
Department Head/Elected Official: Rodney Ellis, Precinct One
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental RCA
Type of Request: Discussion Item
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request by the Commissioner of Precinct 1 for discussion and possible action to address the continued negative impacts of inflation and pay inequities for lower-wage Harris County employees.
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Background and Discussion:
In 2023, Harris County Commissioners Court approved a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all employees (7% for civilian employees and 4% for investigators/deputies who received 3% COLAs in the two years prior) in its adopted FY24 budget. Inflation continues to depress the actual purchasing power of employee income, which has a greater negative impact on low and middle-wage employees compared to those people with higher incomes.
This item requests a discussion on approaches to address the inequitable impacts of inflation on low- and middle-wage County employees. As of April 2024, 28% of Houston Metro households with incomes less than $75K found it “very difficult” to pay for usual household expenses in the prior week compared to 7% of households with incomes of $75K or higher. Despite the relative cooling of inflation, prices of necessities like food and housing continue to increase and comprise a larger portion of families’ disposable income.
Harris County, as stated in its newly adopted Strategic Planning Framework, aims to be a leading employer and partner that prioritizes equity and invests responsibly. By finding ways to increase wages for all employees, Harris County can invest in its greatest asset, its employees, and resultantly boost productivity and morale and reduce turnover.
Alternative Options:
No change to employee wages.
Alignment with Goal(s):
_ Justice and Safety
X Economic Opportunity
_ Housing
_ Public Health
_ Transportation
_ Flooding
_ Environment
X Governance and Customer Service
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
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5/16/2023 |
23-2832 |
Motion to direct OMB to update FY24 Current Level of Service forecast that includes a 4% Cost of Living Adjustment for all County employees except those whose salaries must be set by court order and include an additional 3% Cost of Living Adjustment for all County employees who did not receive the cumulative 3% Deputy Investigator increases in the past two Fiscal Years. |
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4/4/2023 |
23-2217 |
Motion to direct Human Resources and Risk Management to develop a proposal to submit to the appropriate ARPA Focus Area Team to address standardization of employee position classification and compensation. HRRM should also develop a plan with milestones to analyze and identify any pay disparities based on race, ethnicity, and gender, and to remedy any disparities that are found, and return to Commissioners Court to present the plan by June 27, 2023. |
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Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
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Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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Total Current Budget |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
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Total Funding Request |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
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Additional Positions Request |
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Total Personnel |
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Anticipated Court Date: June 25, 2024
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date):
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Sophie Elsner, Policy Director, Precinct One
Attachments (if applicable): N/A