Conroe is under fire for authorizing salary increases for three top staff members whose salaries exceed $300,000 despite continuous financial hardships.

Conroe is under fire for authorizing salary increases for three top staff members whose salaries exceed $300,000 in spite of continuous financial hardships. Significant compensation increases for City Administrator Gary Scott, Deputy City Administrator Nancy Mikeska, and Assistant City Administrator Norman McGuire were granted by the City Council under a reorganization plan.
Scott's pay climbed to $365,000; Mikeska's to $330,000; McGuire's to $300,000. Approved within the city's budget-balancing effort, the compensation increases raised questions among citizens and critics. Councilwoman Marsha Porter defended the raises by stressing the two lawyers in the top posts' experience and their part in saving tax payers money by managing legal matters before they become expensive litigation.
For top jobs, city officials in other Texas cities, including Pearland, Sugar Land, and Waco, have comparable pay. Still, many residents find the seeming discrepancy between the compensation increases and the financial difficulties facing the city infuriating.

The Conroe City Council approved spending $6 million to buy 12.84 acres for a potential future City Hall. The purchase exceeds city requirements for reserves and cannot proceed without voter approval.

Four longtime Conroe families in the historic Dugan and Madeley Quarter neighborhoods received new mortgage-free homes this week through a federal Community Development Block Grant. The program has rebuilt 86 homes since the 1990s.
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Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park unveiled the official name of its upcoming museum and education center, which is an important step forward in a project envisioned to preserve military history and expand community education.