Harris County commissioners declined a $40,000 pay raise for embattled county treasurer Carla Wyatt on Tuesday, leaving her salary where it stood as they push to remove her office.
The item failed after commissioners chose to take no action during the Commissioners Court meeting. They held no discussion on the pay increase proposal.
Last month, a publicly-led Harris County salary grievance committee voted to recommend the raise for Wyatt. That recommendation was about $126,000 less than the raise she first asked for. The committee’s recommended raise would have brought Wyatt’s salary up to $179,000.
The Crowd at the Meeting
More than 140 county residents spoke to commissioners during a public comment period at the special meeting Tuesday. Several asked the elected body to reconsider a proposed 7.6 percent property tax increase.
Mark Cowart, a candidate for Harris County Treasurer, asked the court to turn down Wyatt’s pay increase.
“We can no longer afford out of control spending, we can not afford five and six-figure pay increases,” Cowart said. “Failure should not be rewarded and Carla Wyatt has failed this county miserably.”
Wyatt’s Legal Case
Wyatt is actively facing a misdemeanor DWI charge out of Galveston County. In May, just weeks after a grand jury declined to indict her on a previous criminal burglary charge, Wyatt was arrested in Galveston County for allegedly driving while intoxicated, according to an arrest affidavit.
Before that, she was arrested last December and accused of breaking into another person’s vehicle in a restaurant parking lot with intent to commit theft.
That charge was dropped after an attorney representing Wyatt said she had received a medical consultation for cerebrovascular disease and a mini-stroke after the incident. She had begun treatment for anemia and made certain changes to her daily nutritional intake and work habits, he said.
Wyatt, a 24-year veteran of the county, did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.
The Pay Dispute
The county’s proposed $3.1 billion budget includes across-the-board pay increases for almost all elected county officials, except for County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who is not seeking re-election for her seat in November.
Wyatt told the grievance committee last month that commissioners left her out of the pay increase proposal for elected officials.
“They did a study, they made a recommendation and commissioners court decided to leave me out,” Wyatt said. “They intentionally called all the other elected officials departments, they left me out, I don’t know why, they didn’t give me a reason.”
Her pleas for higher pay came months after county commissioners stripped her office of a key function and voted unanimously to pursue dissolving the county treasurer’s office.
The Plan to Remove the Office
Dissolving the Harris County Treasurer’s Office is a legislative priority for county leaders when state lawmakers reconvene for the 90th session next January. If a bill to eliminate the Harris County Treasurer’s Office receives two-thirds of the vote in the legislature, the question will go before voters across the state.
A state-wide vote is required in order to eliminate the treasurer’s office in any Texas county.
Galveston County successfully eliminated its county treasurer’s office after voters elected Hank Dugie to the position, who ran on a campaign to eventually dissolve his own position.
Wyatt is up for reelection for her seat this year. If the position is dissolved, the treasurer would still serve in her capacity through the remainder of 2027.
What Comes Next
The salary recommendation was on the agenda Tuesday, but the item failed after commissioners chose to take no action.
Cowart’s challenge to Wyatt comes as voters prepare to decide her fate at the ballot box this year.
The county’s broader budget fight continues, with residents pressing commissioners on the proposed property tax increase.
Wyatt’s legal case in Galveston County remains active.
Key Numbers
- $40,000: Proposed pay raise declined by commissioners
- $179,000: Salary Wyatt would have received with the raise
- $126,000: Difference between the committee’s recommendation and Wyatt’s original request
- 7.6%: Proposed property tax increase
- $3.1 billion: Proposed county budget
- 24 years: Wyatt’s tenure with the county
- 2027: End of Wyatt’s term if the office is removed
Two Treasurers Compared
| Carla Wyatt | Hank Dugie | |
|---|---|---|
| Office | Harris County Treasurer | Galveston County Treasurer |
| Position on office | Faces a push to remove her office | Ran on a campaign to remove his own position |
| Result | Removal pending a legislative vote | Office removed after voter approval |
| Legal issues | Active misdemeanor DWI charge; prior burglary charge dropped | None reported |
Wyatt did not return a request for comment.
The commissioners took no action.
Source: houstonpublicmedia.org