KLEBERG COUNTY, Texas — Kleberg County commissioners approved a pay raise for all county employees, particularly for dispatchers for the upcoming fiscal year.
Starting next year, dispatchers hourly pay will go from $11.90 to $17 an hour and $14 to $19 an hour depending on their certification.
Lori Trevino has worked as a dispatcher for 11 years, seven of those in Kleberg County. She said it's a demanding job but very rewarding and to finally get a pay raise means a lot.
"I'm honestly grateful that the raise went through," Trevino said. "Like I said we've been fighting for this for a really long time and it's at a rate that I feel like we deserve."
Kleberg County Judy Rudy Madrid said the county has been dealing with a shortage of dispatchers for years but he hopes this will help.
"We're giving a very nice raise for our 911 dispatchers to help both recruitment and retention. And at the end of the day, they deserve it. They're first responders and they save lives everyday," Madrid said. "What a better way to reward them."
Madrid said the new pay increase will hopefully entice dispatchers to stay in the county instead of going to another county.
"You know it's very competitive. We get folks that come down and what we call poach our employees. They come and offer them a little bit more money and take them to other counties," Madrid said.
Trevino said the shortage has taken a toll. At times she has worked six days a week but she is hopeful this pay raise will change things for the better.
At this moment, there are only three dispatchers in Kleberg County. For more information on how to apply for the department, click here.
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