Court reverses course, grants COLA to all

By Marc Robertson - Editor | December 6, 2023

Commissioners agree on $500 to every employee

Just over two weeks after voting not to grant a one-time cost-of-living allowance to every La Salle County employee, commissioners reversed course Thursday, November 30, and granted a $500 payment.

Negotiating under a caution from County Attorney Elizabeth Martinez that the allowance not be referred to as a Christmas or end-of-year bonus, commissioners agreed to change a decision made Nov. 13 and spend $150,000 on full- and part-time employees.

The cost-of-living allowance (COLA) awarded last week is separate from the county’s standard three-percent salary increases to government staff, an expense that has yet to be approved when commissioners vote on their annual budget before December 31.

“People don’t understand what this is,” Commissioner Noel Niavez said of the COLA payment.

“It’s similar to social security,” county finance consultant Jorge Flores told the court. “It gives an adjustment to employees.”

“We have been giving it, but we don’t have to give it,” Comm. Raul Ayala said.

“We are here for the best interests of the county,” Comm. Jack Alba said. “But revenues go down. Some people are barely making it. Will five hundred across the board be alright?”

“It’s not budgeted,” Flores told the court, reiterating his comment from Nov. 13. “We will be going into the fund balance if you approve it.”

Atty. Martinez reminded commissioners that the one-time COLA payment does not apply to any elected officials and will only be paid to salaried county employees.

“Payments to employees are an allowable cost-of-living adjustment,” the county attorney said.

County Judge Leodoro Martinez III made a motion to award $500 to all county employees. His motion was not immediately seconded and led to further discussion over how much the county can afford to disburse.

“We don’t have the money to give $1,000 to full-time and $500 to part-time employees,” Comm. Niavez said, referring to COLA payments made in years past.

“You have the money in your carry-over funds,” Flores told the court, referring to amounts remaining in the 2023 budget.

“You’re talking four hundred thousand dollars,” the county judge said of a COLA made in the past. “We had a tax revenue decrease of nine million dollars.”

“From a thousand it went down to five hundred?” Comm. Niavez said of the judge’s motion. “With tax deducted, it’s going to be less. Last year was a thousand.”

“I made a motion,” the judge said.

Commissioners were split on the decision, with Comms. Ayala and Alba supporting the award but Comm. Niavez voting against it. Comm. Erasmo Ramirez was absent from the meeting.

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