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.
In a rare and unified stand, more than 200 presidents of U.S. colleges and universities have signed a joint statement accusing the Trump administration of dangerous political interference in higher education. The coordinated response comes on the heels of a federal lawsuit filed by Harvard University, claiming that the government is threatening its academic independence.
Texans turned out in full force this past weekend as The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival marked its 20th year with record crowds, perfect weather, and a strong dose of Texas-sized creativity. With over 200 artists, dozens of performances, and a mission to “Make Art Matter,” the festival once again proved why it’s one of the top-ranked art events in the country.
Children’s Safe Harbor marked its 15th year of honoring children saved from abuse by planting symbolic pinwheels across multiple counties — expanding its annual tradition to four separate locations for the first time.