Travis County commissioners gave themselves a pat on the back Tuesday, boosting their own pay by double digits for a second consecutive year.

The pay bumps total a 28% increase since last year, bringing their salaries to $$135,662, and County Judge Sarah Eckhardt received an 11% raise, increasing her salary to $156,630. Commissioners also doled out raises to other staff members, though law enforcement officers didn't get all they requested.

The $18 million in pay hikes were among expenses included in the county's $1.2 billion budget, which also included money to help launch a public defender's office.

Travis County is one of the largest jurisdictions in the country without a public defender who can represent those unable to afford a lawyer. The Texas Indigent Defense Commission in August awarded it a four-year, $20.1 million grant to help get one off the ground. The county will match $4.3 million in its first year.

Commissioners also increased property tax revenue by the maximum 8% limit one last time before a state-imposed revenue cap of 3.5% goes into effect in January.

County commissioners also approved a tax boost, setting the 2019-20 tax rate at 36.92 cents per $100 in property value, a 1.5-cent increase from last year's rate. The owner of the average home in Travis County, valued at $347,655, can expect to pay $1,283 on the county's portion of the tax bill, about $126 more than they paid last year.

Both the budget and the tax rate were adopted by a unanimous vote, though many commissioners expressed dismay at approving such a significant tax increase.

"I think all of us are aware that this is probably not the most acceptable budget to the majority of the public," Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said. "I always feel concerned when our community is really struggling to pay their taxes."

Other new expenses include funds for a new criminal District Court, increased electronic monitoring for defendants diverted from the Travis County Jail and additional staff to support the sexual assault unit in the Travis County district attorney's office.

Included in the pay increases are raises for some county staffers to bring them up to the market rate and an increase in the minimum wage for hourly staffers from $13 to $15 per hour. All personnel who did not receive a market salary increase or minimum wage increase will get a 3% raise. Commissioners also gave themselves a 14% raise for fiscal 2020, the second year they have awarded themselves a raise of that size.

The county did approve a stepped increase for county law enforcement, moving them up the salary scale, at a cost of $1.9 million. However, commissioners rejected the sheriff's unions' request for a 3% across-the-board raise for all law enforcement, saying the request came too late for them to study the fiscal impact.

The Travis County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association and Travis County Sheriff's Officers Association sent letters to members saying they had numerous meetings with elected officials over the last several months to prepare them for the request.

"We want our members to know that we put in a lot of hard work since January to make this happen, and it should've happened," the letter said. "We have been diplomatic way too often and the boiling pot has run over. Our frustrations and will to fight will not dissipate until they do the right thing for our members."

Travis County commissioners have requested that the budget office study possible changes to the law enforcement pay scale to make it more equitable. A recent market salary survey shows that those in senior positions are paid significantly higher than the market rate, while those in lower positions are only slightly above the market.

Commissioner Margaret Gómez had hoped that the county would set aside a pot of money for future years, when the county can expect having less money for projects and services because of the reduced revenue cap.

Travis County Budget Director Travis Gatlin said the county did not store away any money for undesignated uses in future years, but it did set aside funding for the second year of the public defender's office. He said the county also decided to use some of its extra funds this year for an energy savings project at county jail facilities, at a cost of $10.3 million, rather than relying on certificate of obligation bonds, which local governments can use to pay for public works without voter approval. County officials say the project will save taxpayers $2 million a year from energy and water conservation.

The budget also includes money for emergency assistance to provide rent, food, and utility assistance for at-risk populations, road repairs, initial staffing and operational costs for the 2017 voter-approved Bee Creek Sports Complex in western Travis County and outreach efforts for the 2020 census.

The total budget is 11.1% larger than last year's. The general fund, which comes largely from property taxes, grew 10.6% to $882 million, Gatlin said.

Travis County also approved the $291 million budget for Central Health, which provides health services to low-income residents. The budget funds new clinics in Hornsby Bend and eastern Travis County, better coverage for chronically ill patients and mental health and substance use services for Austin musicians.