CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Neither layoffs nor salary cuts will be necessary to solve Nueces County's budgetary shortfall, said Pct. 4 commissioner Brent Chesney on Monday.
As 3NEWS reported Friday, Nueces County commissioners had asked its department heads to make suggested budget cuts to their areas because of a potential funding deficit.
Some of those cuts were accomplished by closing open, unfilled positions -- 13 jobs the county was trying to find candidates for were eliminated, and 22 positions were frozen. None of those jobs will be filled in 2024, the county said.
During Monday morning's budget workshop, Nueces County First Asst. District Attorney Angelica Hernandez told 3NEWS the attorneys in her office are crucial to maintaining law and order.
"Without them, I don’t know what would happen to the crime rate," she said. "They're that last line to stand up for victims."
Hernandez speaking with 3NEWS after giving commissioner's court her department’s budget -- one that includes $180,000 in cuts.
It also provides raises $7,000-$10,000 per attorney.
"They deserve these pay-group increases," she said. "We’re still giving the reductions in the budget they asked for, but, this is something I hope commissioners court will approve.”
One of those attorneys in the DA’s office agreed that pay matters.
”You need high quality, good people working here, and until you start paying them the money they deserve, you’re going to have a problem of people leaving for somewhere else to make more money,” said asst. DA Joe Mike Pena.
One of the other attorneys said it’s the job, not the money, that keeps him around.
"I’m thinking too much about my time working for Uncle Sam to focus on individuals and how much they make per year," said asst. DA Austin Drucker. "Because you can do good work despite what you’re getting in pay, it’s just what the office does."
The district attorneys office still has 10 open prosecutor positions, part of the 201 vacancies in Nueces County government.
Whether commissioners court accepts the district attorneys office's budget proposal is still not yet known, but Commissioner Brent Chesney believes the cuts offered by all county government departments has the budget numbers looking great.
"Now you are probably at a $5- to- $10-million budget deficit with the potential based on the actual number to come in somewhere between zero and 3 1/2 million. So, we are in way better shape than we were,” he said.
Commissioners will continue looking at the budget at their regular meeting Wednesday.
That’s where they will vote on a tax-rate ceiling -- a number that can be lowered later on if needed.
Sept. 13 will be the final vote on the tax rate and the budget.
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