EL PASO, Texas -- On Monday, El Paso County Commissioners agreed on a plan that would freeze cost-of-living increases for the next year for nearly all employees of the El Paso Sheriff's Office.

Right now, the county is locked into an agreement with the El Paso County Sheriff's Officers Association. That agreement said officers will get a three percent pay increase over the course of the next year.

Commissioners are asking the association to freeze the pay increase for one year, saving the county $1.2 million.

In exchange, the county will extend the contract with the association from 2012 to 2014, essentially giving job security to the more than 800 members.

"We understand where we are at in our border, and we're part of that community, and we want to continue to help out as much as we can," said Jose Marrufo, president of the El Paso County Sheriff's Officers Association.

"This goes to show that the men and women of the sheriff's union, the leadership of the sheriff's union, really is committed to El Pasoans. Not just when they're out there patrolling, not just when they're out there in the jails, but they're committed, they understand the budgetary constraints," said Judge Anthony Cobos.

The members of the association have to vote on this change to their contract before it is approved, and all of this needs to get done before the new county budget goes into effect on Oct. 1.

Commissioners have stated repeatedly they don't want to raise taxes or use reserve funds to pay down the approximately $13 million deficit they are currently facing.

If the sheriff's office employees contract goes through, Cobos believes the county remains only $2-3 million in the hole.