EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – El Paso County has proposed a tax rate that would raise property taxes and increase salaries for county officials. The proposal would include county commissioners and county judges.

The county did a study and found that elected officials receive a lower pay rate than the rest of Texas. The county then set a goal to reach about 80% of the statewide average.

Commissioner Iliana Holguin had voted against the pay raise, saying that the county commissioners were not part of the salary calculation in previous years, but the court decided for a change.

“This year, the court did not want to do that and voted to go ahead and increase the salary for the commissioners and the judge except for myself, I voted against it just because I’ve never felt giving myself a pay raise,” Holguin said.

Even though El Paso County is making less than other counties in Texas, they still make more than El Paso City Council.

Oscar Leeser makes $78,750 as mayor of El Paso, while city representatives make $52,500.

That is in contrast to the county, where the commissioners are currently making $114,900, and Judge Ricardo Samaniego makes $131,500. That rate would increase to $133,500 for the commissioners and $152,700 for the county judge.

The meeting to decide on the proposed tax rate will not be until August 28, but Commissioner Sergio Coronado believes these increases will benefit the long term.

“I just think we need to treat everybody fairly. Commissioners and the judge were all employees, like the other elected officials. We shouldn’t be treated any differently, and I think that you know, in order to do that, it even attracts other people to make sure that they run better-qualified people; I welcome that,” Coronado said.