"even with the most generous of the options, we would still be paid on average $20,000 less than our counterparts in the County Attorney and District Attorney's offices. We are doing the same work, and we are making 60 percent less than these people. And if you look at other big cities in the state, and Harris County and Dallas County, these public defense investigators are also making $30,000 more than us on average, and they don't have disparity with their prosecutorial counterparts."
"Since 2022, the lowest paid employees at Travis County have seen consistent increases in wages. In 2022, there was an across-the-board increase, from $15 to $20 per hour and, in 2024, that increased another 4 percent. But in other areas, county staff has been consistently flagging improper compensation - for example, in the Public Defender's Office. Several speakers urged commissioners to fix the pay disparity between public defenders and prosecutors."
Travis County staff proposed a FY25-26 "modernization" that would designate employees as exempt or non-exempt to address retention challenges. Non-exempt workers receive Fair Labor Standards Act protections because they are paid hourly or earn below the Department of Labor salary threshold; exempt employees earn above that threshold. Since 2022, the county raised its lowest wages from $15 to $20 per hour and added 4 percent in 2024, but compensation problems persist in some offices. Public defender investigators reported large pay gaps versus prosecutors and counterparts in other counties. Staff said a market adjustment is needed or a 3 percent across-the-board raise would be the only budget-neutral option, which would still leave disparities.
Read at Austin Monitor
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