Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt has requested a substantial salary increase, seeking $250,000 or more, according to a formal salary grievance filed with the county and obtained by the Houston Chronicle.
If approved, the raise would represent a 79 percent increase over her current annual salary of just over $139,500. Wyatt's request was submitted as part of an annual process allowing elected officials to petition for a pay adjustment, and it is scheduled for consideration.
In her grievance, Wyatt stated the requested amount should "fairly and appropriately reflect the statutory responsibilities, fiduciary obligations, scope of authority, workload, and level of accountability associated with the office of Harris County Treasurer." This request comes as her office has had some financial oversight powers removed in an ongoing effort to abolish her position.
Wyatt's salary request is concurrent with a driving while intoxicated case working its way through the legal system. In May, police in Galveston stopped a vehicle after a concerned onlooker flagged it. Officers found Wyatt, the driver, to be asleep at the wheel. According to police documents, Wyatt initially told officers she was "in Heaven" before stating she was in Houston trying to reach Galveston for a conference.
Wyatt initially admitted to consuming one glass of wine that evening, later changing her account to two glasses. Officers reported smelling alcohol emanating from Wyatt. She reportedly struggled to remain upright without sitting on the rear bumper of her car. She subsequently failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for driving while intoxicated. She was taken to the Galveston County jail and has since been released.
Wyatt's attorney, Christopher Downey, stated, "We are looking forward to obtaining all of the available discovery in this case and investigating the basis for this arrest. Dr. Wyatt denies that she committed any criminal act whatsoever."
This is not the first time Wyatt has faced legal scrutiny while in office. In 2023, she was arrested and charged with DWI for driving with a blood alcohol content nearly double the legal limit. She agreed to a court-issued program in exchange for the dropping of those charges. Also last year, Wyatt was arrested and charged with burglary of a vehicle, an incident she attributed to experiencing a 'mini stroke.' A grand jury did not indict her on that charge.
