Commissioners face budget deficit

By Breyana Segura - Chief Staff Writer | August 27, 2025

“Nickle and diming…”

Pay scale approved despite nearly half a million dollar shortfall.

Despite a nearly half-million dollar budget deficit, commissioners have approved a new pay scale study that would force operating cost cuts and offer an average five thousand dollar raise to elected officials.
According to County Auditor Crystal Marquez, a proposed budget was filed at the county clerk’s office on Friday, August 15 that reflects a one-and-a-half percent raise to all county employees and elected officials.
“The biggest change was in the certified numbers; they came down,” the auditor said during a Monday, August 18 budget meeting. “In the proposed budget I put $11.7 million [in ad valorem tax revenue]; however, the certified numbers came in at $11.1 million. We had a cut of $500,000.”
Marquez said there are three pilot payments slated to be received from the solar panel plants that will help offset the budget deficit.
Records show that since 2021, Allura Solar has paid the county $94,000 annually. This fiscal year, the county is set to receive annual payments from Horizon Solar in the amount of $109,000 and Morrow Lake Solar for $80,000. However, during the Monday meeting, legal counsel to the court, Joseph Sindon, confirmed Horizon Solar did not submit payment.
“Even though I cut the budget, we have a $494,000 deficit on ad valorem taxes,” the auditor said.
A review of the proposed budget filed on the county’s website shows raises to elected officials.
“I have entered all current salaries, approved on October 1, 2024, all these salaries are accurate and up-to-date, I also increased the group insurance,” Marquez said.
The county judge’s salary was increased by $7,000 t0 $80,000; the salary will also include a supplement of $31,500 provided by the state.
The county attorney salary will increase from $83,000 to $90,000. Records show the attorney will receive an additional $35,000 in the form of a supplement funded by the state.
The county clerk’s staff is slated to receive a combined increase of $10,000 in salaries; the elected official’s new salary is $60,000, an increase of $5,000.
911 emergency management coordinator, county treasurer and elections administrator will each earn an additional $5,000 annually.
The proposed budget reflects a $6,000 pay increase for the district clerk bringing her salary to $70,000. Furthermore, salaries among the four clerks rose from $157,000 to $171,000.
Frio County justices of peace will each see an increase in salary ranging from three to five thousand dollars.
The proposed budget shows Marquez’ annual salary at $83,000, an increase of $7,000.
However, Marquez told the court that District Judge Jennifer Dillingham contacted her office and requested salary increases for herself and her staff.
“So it is a total increase of $29,000, this comes from Dillingham and [Judge Russell] Wilson,” the auditor said. “So, because of those increases I reverted my operating budget back down.”
“So because a judge requested an increase, you cut operating expenses,” Pct. 2 Commissioner Mario Martinez questioned.
“Ms. Marquez will receive a supplement from the juvenile board in Frio County,” the district judge said in an email on Monday afternoon. “This supplement is in line with the other counties in our district which utilize the county auditor as a bookkeeper for the juvenile board and is outside of the salary adjustment for her position as county auditor – though it is part of her total yearly compensation.”
According to the Texas Local Government Code, district judges have the legal authority to set the county auditor’s annual salary but they must do so by a majority vote at a public hearing and record it as an official order to be certified to the commissioners’ court for payment.
The tax collector-assessor is projected to receive a $6,000 salary increase; the human resources director will earn $77,000 annually, an increase of $7,000.
The proposed budget indicates the Pct. 1 constable’s salary will increase from $51,000 to $70,000; while the Pct. 4 constable’s salary will decrease from $71,000 t0 $52,000. Furthermore, the Pct. 2 constable’s salary will be reduced by $9,000 dropping to $52,000; the Pct. 3 constable is set to earn $58,000 annually, a $4,000 increase.
Due to tenure and a tier pay scale, the Frio County Sheriff’s salary will increase by $10,000; he will now earn $90,000 annually.
Frio County commissioners’ salaries will collectively increase by $16,000 totaling $194,000.
According to the proposed budget, the road and bridge administrator’s salary is $72,000; the road supervisor will earn $68,000 annually. The pair’s salaries increased by $15,000.
Several county offices reportedly cut operating costs in an effort to offset the deficit of the increase in health insurance costs.
Senate Bill 22 requires the county attorney to have a victim assistance coordinator, a position that Joseph Sindon will offset the salary through the use of grant monies. Sindon noted the grant money received through the senate bill will also fund the newly created assistant county attorney’s position.
Aside from the general fund deficit, commissioners learned the road and bridge budget was in the red by $151,000.
Road and Bridge Administrator Anselmo Ornelas told the court he would cut his heavy machinery budget nearly in half from $400,000 to $206,000.
Marquez noted the $2,000 cost of living adjustments (COLA) for all employees remained in the general fund and totaled $309,000.
“I left it in here, I thought about zeroing it out, but no, that is not my call,” the auditor said.
The following day, commissioners met again to discuss possible cuts to operating budgets.
According to the auditor, the county judge’s office proposed budget cuts totaling $2,800; the auditor’s office cut an additional $1,500; and the human resources director trimmed $3,000 of his operating costs.
Additionally, the court reduced the justices of the peace travel budget by $9,000; building maintenance by $3,000; plumbing repairs were reduced by $5,000;$50,000 from utilities were cut; and electrical repairs decreased by $7,000.
“Well this is where we do the lightning projects,” Marquez said of the electrical repair line item decrease.
In total, the court cut the building maintenance by $70,000.
“We can reduce, the idea is to reduce as much as we can and unfortunately, this is the year we will not be able to do all that we want,” Comm. Martinez said.
Commissioners cut $25,400 from the jail staff’s budget; those cuts included reducing the budget for training and continuing education for detention officers.
Frio County Sheriff Peter Salinas offered to slice the jail housing budget due to the facility operating as a fulltime jail; however, he cautioned the monies remained allocated in the budget in the event the department had to use neighboring counties to house inmates in unforeseen circumstances.
“The only way that money will be spent is if our jail gets shut down either by state or by something major like a water leak, but if you need to cut, I am trying to be a team player here,” the sheriff said. “It is there to protect us. Every year I have been able to come in here and make some deep cuts, but we are getting to the point where all that fluff is gone.”
Commissioners suggested a decrease in the sheriff’s office training budget; however, Chief Deputy Chris Marquez reminded the court about state-mandated training noting the inter-local agreement with Dilley ISD for school resource officers and the required training for that position.
The county auditor noted after the cuts proposed by commissioners the budget still had a $195,341 deficit in the general fund.
“As far as cutting, we are nickeling and diming, I do not want to decrease salaries in any way,” Pct. 3 Comm. Raul Carrizales said. “I do not want to cut COLA if we are not going to do salary increases.”