Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 (Agenda)
Item 23
>> the jerry pate item, number 23, consider and take appropriate action regarding Travis County response to reduction in jury pay by state of Texas, I received that communication from I guess the comptroller and so it's more of a budget issue than anything else just because of the wording that was there so I stuck out the agenda because we start budget markup tomorrow.
since that time two legal questions as surfaced, but let me let you all have your say.
>> I believe next week the district clerk to good to request to reduce to $28 a day as opposed to $40 a day after the first day of jury service.
budget-wise, the total jury pay budget for the f.y.
12 budget, this is the same as if f.y.
11 budget, is $576,123.
at this time p.b.o.
does not recommend reducing that budget because of the volatility.
it looks like they may -- the state may be looking at the jury pay reimbursement every single quarter.
and if they remain low and we do not spend that budget in 13, we would go look for a reduction in that -- in those line items. But for right now in f.y.
12 we recommend keeping it as is.
>> that amount is in the preliminary budget.
>> it is.
>> two questions.
one is do we have the authority to adjust that rate midyear?
>> the way that the statute reads, and that part of it has not changed, is that in preparing and approving the annual budget for a county, the Commissioners court of the county shall determine the annual amount of reimbursement.
so looks like you have this time of year to do that.
>> that was my thinking.
that's why I stuck it on before markup, but if we don't change the amount, that's fine.
but on the rest of the fees and stuff like this during the budget process we set it, the next legal opportunity to revisit it is the next budget cycle.
>> right.
>> so that's a big question.
and the second question is do we set that fee or does the district clerk?
>> it does say the Commissioners court, but it doesn't say maybe we can be a little creative.
>> are you suggesting we collaborate with the district clerk, mr. Hilly?
>> there may be a way to work with planning and budget and district clerk to develop maybe a range or something as to how things happen quarterly.
>> yeah.
but budget impact issue goes away if we leave the amount that's in the preliminary budget in place.
>> right, that would be for the -- it's budgeted for the $40.
>> all right.
and it looks like we're looking at -- is it six dollars less than that?
>> right, we put up six and then the state reimburses 34 -- well, did reimburse 34 after the first day, and that would be 28.
>> our six bucks a pop will add up to $576,123?
>> that 576 includes the $40.
>> okay, but that total 40 has gone down to.
>> 28.
>> that's a $12 decrease.
>> what are other counties doing?
>> actually, judge, that's going down from the state reimburses us right now $34 of the 40.
okay?
and the county covers six.
okay?
what it's going to go down to is to 28 effective I believe September 28th.
so what we're -- we're recommending and the district clerk is recommending next week is that we take the six dollars plus whatever the state is going to reimburse us and just leave that open.
okay?
>> and set the rate at that amount?
>> yes, sir.
>> what's your name?
>> robert chapel.
>> did she send you over today?
I don't want to put you on the spot.
>> yeah, don't put me on the spot.
>> okay.
>> we would like to make it today.
>> if we leave that amount the same, you are saying we ought to have more than enough cushion to deal with the facts as we know them today.
>> that is right.
and we'll look at again in f.y.
13 and we have been reducing this budget because of the i-jury system in the past.
we look at it every year.
>> but this fee has been this amount for a few years, hasn't it?
>> right, but they've had some savings through their automated system on line that they don't call as many jurors as they used to.
>> all right.
we eagerly anticipate next week's discussion.
by the way, you are invited back.
>> thank you.
>> that is number 23.
we'll have it back on next week.
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