Commissioners Court approve Longevity Pay for Non-Elected County Employees

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2015

Maverick County Commissioners Court unanimously approved to implement a longevity pay package for non-elected employees of Maverick County for fiscal year 2015-2016 during their meeting held on Monday, September 14, 2015, benefiting hundreds of county employees.

During the meeting, Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo under agenda item No. 15 read the resolution being sought to establish which County employees would qualify and who wouldn’t qualify under the longevity pay proposal.

Judge Saucedo stated that the proposal would allow up to the maximum of 25 years to be taken into account, under a pay of $5 per month for time dedicated to the county as an employee as an appreciation for loyalty from the long term employees of the county.

“The longevity increment policy for fiscal year 2015-2016 will be set for the fiscal year mentioned, the increment will be paid to all eligible county employees and appointed county officials, an employee of the county is not eligible to participate in the increment, unless on November 30, 2015 the employee shall have been employed continuously by the county for the three preceding years, only full time employees are eligible for the longevity increment, if eligible the employees shall receive for this year the longevity increment equal to $5 per month for each month of employment with the county up to a maximum of 25 years of service, if any employee had left the county’s employment at that time of their service, their time of service and eligibility shall be calculated from the starting date of their most recent date of employment with the county, any county employee having left the county’s employment loses all time of service for the purpose of the calculation of this longevity increment , any amount paid under this policy shall be paid to the employee as a separate check with the first salary check in December and shall be subject to all federal deductions and contributions to the Texas County and District Retirement System.” Said Saucedo

The proposed longevity Increment pay is included in Maverick County’s budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year which is scheduled to be approved later this month in September 2015.

Judge Saucedo asked if there were any comments or questions from the Maverick County Commissioners Court, which there were none.

Agenda item No.15 was approved unanimously.

The longevity pay for non-elected county employees is going to cost Maverick County taxpayers a significant amount of additional money in the new 2015-2016 fiscal year budget. The longevity pay plan for non-elected employees provides that each eligible county employee shall receive $5 per month for each month of employment service with the county up to a maximum of 25 years. For example, a county employee who has been working the maximum 25 years will earn $5 per month X 300 months (25 Years) totaling $1,500 per year longevity pay bonus. This bonus is not for merit, but rather for loyalty due to the employee’s longevity with the county.