Lucio Vasquez / Houston Public Media

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth is the only elected official this year to reject a salary increase from commissioners court.

In a statement on Monday, Hudspeth said she would not accept a pay bump that would have brought her salary up to $305,000 in 2027. That would be a 70% increase from her current salary of just over $179,000, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Commissioners approved a slate of raises for most elected county officials earlier this month. That was after Commissioner Rodney Ellis said he would only vote in favor of raising each eight elected county constables’ salaries to $305,000 if the provision also included most other elected officials in the county.

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RELATED: Harris County constables will make $305,000 next year, a 129% increase since 2024

Hudspeth said her focus remains on ensuring that available resources to the county clerk’s office are directed toward filling the positions her office request in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

“I appreciate the Commissioners Court's action and recognition of the responsibilities and demands of serving in this role,” she said. “However, the approved salary increase was not accompanied by additional funding and would have to be absorbed within the County Clerk’s existing budget. At this time, I have chosen not to accept the newly approved salary.”

The proposed 2027 county budget could top $3 billion this year. The county is also facing a more than $130 million budget deficit next year, stemming in part from ballooning inflationary costs. Some county commissioners have recently raised concerns about the county’s financial state and called on the court to cut costs.

While the county has faced similar budget deficits in recent years, budget officials this year are cutting costs by selling unused county buildings and reducing jail outsourcing expenses. The court has also discussed increasing eviction service fees in an effort to shore up additional dollars in the future.

In a recent press conference, Commissioners Lesley Briones and Adrian Garcia, who approved the slate of salary increases, put the onus of the county’s financial state on the federal government for cutting services for Harris County residents.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has condemned her Democratic colleagues for approving the recent pay raises for constables, which brought their salaries higher than the U.S. vice president’s. She said her voting record shows she is a fiscal conservative for rejecting various expenses.

Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt was not included in the recent slate of pay raises. Last week, a publicly-led committee established to field elected officials' salary complaints voted to give Wyatt a $40,000 pay raise — significantly less than the $166,000 increase she originally requested.

RELATED: Harris County committee recommends $40,000 pay boost for treasurer, despite effort to eliminate position

Hudspeth told Houston Public Media Tuesday that she does not plan to file a salary grievance after rejecting the boosted salary.