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.
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Residents across Conroe and Montgomery will have several opportunities this weekend to enjoy live theater, shop local vendors, learn about fossils and support a community blood drive.
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Hundreds of law enforcement officers, family members and community supporters gathered Tuesday in The Woodlands to honor Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Deputy Erika Serrato, who was killed June 28 while directing traffic at a crash scene on Interstate 45.