EL PASO, Texas -- It was a showdown at the El Paso County Courthouse Monday, as Justices of Peace fought to keep their car allowances.

"We as justice of the peace, we dispense justice for the community and we didn't feel the justice was dispensed to us, by the commissioners court," said Justice of The Peace #4 Rosalio Munoz.

El Paso County Commissioners previously voted to take away the justices’ $4,500 car allotments to trim the budget. It's a move commissioner Willie Gandara Jr. said was necessary.

"We as a county are in a recession and we're in tough times,” Gandara told KFOX.

But despite those tough times, the justices of the peace said the commissioners haven't treated them fairly.

"They took off their auto allowance from that line budget auto allowances and they put it, the $8,000 auto allowance, into their salary," said Munoz.

Gandara said commissioners travel more and need an allotment.

“Comparing apples and oranges than oranges to oranges. For example, our judges have a set site and they do most of their work at that site,” Gandara said.

Monday, the salary grievance committee heard their case and sided with them. The committee voted unanimously to give an additional $3,000 to the justices of the peace salaries to make up for the loss of the $ 4,500 car allowance.

“How much money do you generate commissioner,” Justice of the Peace Bruce King asked Gandara, Jr. At one point, King questioned if Gandara had the right to speak during one part of the meeting.

"It's what we said from the beginning. It's not about the money it's about the principle," said Munoz.

For some, justice was served, but Gandara is warning residents about the consequences.

“It may affect us here in the near, distant future in a worse manner than if we would have just left things the way they were, because somebody may actually be losing their job," said Gandara.

Gandara said when you crunch the numbers, the justices of the peace will get paid for about 45,000 miles per year. He said he respected the committee’s decision but doubts if the judges will ever drive that far.

Elected officials in El Paso county are allowed to have car allotments while employees get mileage reimbursements.

Justice of the Peace King said he is traveling extra to cover the courtroom of Justice of the Peace Sissy Hernandez, who’s recovering from surgery.