Commissioner Ponder, pct. 3, tells court to hold his 2025 salary increase

WAXAHACHIE – Ellis County Commissioner Louis Ponder, pct. 3, made the decision to forego his upcoming fiscal year 2025 elected official increase earlier this month. 

While the budget did pass, Ponder made it clear he had been pouring over the new fiscal year budget to figure out how to get to the no new tax revenue rate versus the proposed rate difference, which he calculated to about $5 million.

He admitted he knew there were areas where the budget could not be cut.

“As a former justice of the peace, I know what it can be to go into that jail alone when you have people waiting to be arraigned. 

“I have seen some crazy stuff down there so we have got to give them those raises.”

He pointed out he has seen outrageous rents and people being evicted after rents increase due to the property tax increase to the landlords.

“I really wanted no new revenue,” he said. “I spent a lot of hours looking at this and I don’t know how we would do it unless we start cutting salaries – and I don’t want to do that to the other employees and elected officials. 

“I did tell you I was going to give all or most of it [my pay increase] to charity and there are some people here who know I have a couple of charities I like a lot. 

“I have made the determination today I am not going to take the raise and I will give to the charity out of my current salary.”

In other words, Ponder said, “Don’t give me my raise.”

Ellis County Judge Todd Little pointed out there would be a procedure to this and Ponder added he was not expecting other commissioners to take the same road he is taking regarding commissioner salary increases.

“I didn’t need a job when I took this one, I did it because I want to serve. “Everyone else I know wants to serve as well and their needs and desires and what they want to do, and if they want to give money and if they even want to say out loud, they are doing that is between them. 

“I hope no one here if the vote goes down to the proposed rate, I would hope that no one here chastises or demonizes the other commissioners here. 

“These guys have been doing this a lot longer than I have and it has been a wake-up call for me.”

Commissioner Randy Stinson, pct. 1, spoke next and made it clear he would be taking his pay raise.

At one point Stinson called out a man in the audience who had spoken during public hearing about opposition to the tax increase. 

He said he wanted anyone in the room to tell him they had lowered their prices and then he called out the audience member and ask him if he had lowered his business costs.

Little pointed out the public hearing was closed and citizens were not to speak even though Stinson had called on him in the audience.

Stinson went on to point out, “We have a president who donated his whole salary too and where did that get him, a pocket full of legal fees, half of America hating him and he is filthy rich, but not as filthy rich today as he was when he started.”

Stinson asked how many people spoke at the public hearing and it was determined there were nine people who spoke. 

He then said of those people, “Well, nine people show up and tell me I have done a terrible job, oh, you have done a great job you think you are worth more than $103,000, well you have a problem with yourself. 

“I don’t have a problem with what I think I am worth. I am worth a whole lot more money than what I am drawing here. 

“Like I said, I did take this job based on what the salary paid then and every year I have been elected every four years they get the chance to vote. 

“I ran this year and I had an opponent and I spent my $20,000 out of my pocket to see if I could get re-elected, which I did. 

“My opponent ran on higher taxes, bigger pockets for the county as they did for the city, but he didn’t get elected. 

“Got quite a few votes so I would say if you aren’t happy with me in four years you can boot me out of here if I stay that long. 

“I hate to be blunt, but I am not a politician and I am not going to stand here and schmooze you out of one side of my mouth and do something else out of the other.”

Stinson mentioned Ponder and his decision and then said his own decision lines up with God and himself and he thinks he represents the taxpayers so he is “not going to back up to collect my check when I do get it deposited into my account.”

Commissioner Kyle Butler,  pct.4, was originally opposed to aspects of the budget including the salary increases, pointed out how everyone has worked extremely hard. 

He said they have dropped the tax rate every year and a few no new revenue tax rate years.

“At first I was not sold on the salary survey,” Butler said, but he explained he did his homework and talked to people and he added, “this job has grown since what it was before.”

He then asked the audience, “As far as the salaries go are we worth that much less than Johnson, or Kaufman or Parker?”

Commissioner Lane Grayson, pct. 2, spoke last pointing out he has been a commissioner 10 years. 

He said he appreciated those in attendance and reminded the audience commissioners are road and bridge foremen and they have 900 miles of roadways to oversee. He said every year he has had to do more on less, and he does not want to hear that anymore.