Local change starts with people

Austin County and its municipalities are at a crossroads and decisions made in the coming months could determine whether the county becomes a sleepy backwater or shapes itself to be the next Fort Bend County.

OK, maybe Fort Bend County isn’t the best example, but it is growing and is generally bringing in high-end development. With the Houston metro area exploding like it is, Sealy could be poised to be the next Katy/Cinco Ranch. The Hwy. 36 corridor through Austin County could someday be connecting major cities like Hwy. 6.

Planning and budgeting now can put the county on a course for significant growth or we can continue to nickel and dime our way to being little more than a low-end bedroom community.

The first step involves people. Although I’ve only been here a few months, I’ve seen a huge trend in government employees seeking higher incomes. One of the constants I’ve observed is that overtime is generally not paid and salaries are lower than in neighboring cities and counties.

If you want to attract and keep good quality people you have to pay them a respectable wage and overtime, when necessary. The Sealy Independent School District realizes this and is trying hard to keep salaries in line with the region.

In comparison, the Austin County Jail is bottom-feeding in the employment pool. Most of the jail is closed because they can’t keep jailers employed. The county recently offered a little relief by offering to pay overtime, but that’s a Band-Aid approach to a gaping flesh wound.

Now the dispatch office is unhappy because they donate eight hours of labor each month to the county without being compensated. The Sealy Police Department has also been seeking overtime pay comparable to other departments.

If local governments wish to attract high-end development and a highly skilled labor force, they must first provide a place and opportunity for that to happen. Ultimately, it may mean raising taxes to pay more in salaries.

Rather than keeping taxes low and fishing for employees at the low end of the pay scale, there needs to be a mindset of providing higher salaries and a higher standard of living and having to pick and choose from the best professionals available. Quality people make quality communities. They also pay more in taxes.

As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. The best people are going to follow the best salaries. I understand that Austin County doesn’t have the budget or resources that Fort Bend County has, but it should at least be comparable to or better than other neighboring counties.

Once you start paying more and attracting a better labor force, you begin to see higher-end homes being built. You get higher-level businesses moving to the community. You grow the tax base and are able to provide better roads, schools, and other resources.

The other choice is to keep trying to do more with less and watching as our neighbors grow and thrive while we settle for whatever is left. We need to lead or follow. Personally, I’d rather it be the former.