COMMISSIONERS 01 26 2010

LOCAL NEWS

DATE: 01 27 10

IT WAS, AGAIN, THE SALARIES OF THE STAFF OF THE 253^RD DISTRICT COURT THAT TOOK UP MORE TIME THAN ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEM IN YESTERDAY’S LIBERTY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING.  COUNTY ATTORNEY WES HINCH TOLD COMMISSIONERS THAT HE FOUND A PLETHORA OF ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS THAT SPECIFIED THE DISTRICT JUDGE SETS THE SALARY FOR HIS STAFF, AND THE BAILIFFS SALARY WAS SET BY THE JUDGE BUT WITH APPROVAL OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. COUNTY ATTORNEY WES HINCH ALSO ADDRESSED THE TOPIC OF HOURS SPENT WORKING IN A PARTICULAR COURT.   HE FELT THE SALARY WAS FOR THE JOB DUTIES RATHER THEN THE HOURS SPENT DOING THE JOB. IN ADDITION, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WAS ASKED AT LAST COMMISSIONERS COURT TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE, SAID IT WAS HIS RECOMMENDATION TO PUT TOGETHER A WRITTEN AGREEMENT ALSO KNOWN AS AN INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT, WITH CHAMBERS COUNTY THAT EACH WILL PAY A PORTION OF THE DISTRICT JUDGES STAFF’S SALARY BASED ON POPULATION. LIBERTY COUNTY JUDGE PHIL FITZGERALD HAD MADE THE POINT THAT THE COURT BAILIFF FOR THE 253RD DISTRICT COURT WHICH SERVES IN BOTH COUNTIES WAS BEING PAID TWICE FOR THE SAME JOB - ONCE IN A MONTHLY SALARY FROM LIBERTY COUNTY AND THEN THE BAILIFF WAS ADDITIONALLY PAID AN HOURLY WAGE FOR THE TIME SPENT WHEN THE 253RD COURT WAS WORKING IN CHAMBERS COUNTY. JUDGE FITZGERALD SAID HE WASN'T TRYING TO REDUCE THE BAILIFF'S PAY DAY BUT LET LIBERTY COUNTY PAY CHECK REFLECT WORK DONE FOR THE COURT HERE AND THE BALANCE COMING FROM CHAMBERS COUNTY FOR HIS WORK THERE. ONCE AGAIN THE ISSUE WAS TABLED TO ALLOW COUNTY ATTORNEY WES HINCH TO RESEARCH WHAT WOULD BE IN THE INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENT AND THEN DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH 253RD  DISTRICT JUDGE CHAP CAIN. JUDGE CAIN WAS NOT IN COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING YESTERDAY. IN OTHER ACTION, WHILE APPROVING SEVERAL BILLS TO BE PAID, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT MEMBERS DISCUSSED, AND THEN REJECTED PAYING ONE OF THOSE ON THE LIST. THE ITEM IN QUESTION WAS A $400 STATEMENT FOR MEMBERSHIP TO PRESERVATION TEXAS, A STATE WIDE COURTHOUSE PRESERVATION GROUP. COMMISSIONER LEE GROCE POINTED OUT THERE WERE TWO APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS MADE BY LIBERTY COUNTY TO THE PRESERVATION TEXAS GROUP BUT NEITHER OF THOSE APPLICATIONS WERE GRANTED. MR. GROCE SAID LIBERTY COUNTY IS NOT GETTING ANYTHING FOR THE MEMBERSHIP. WITH THAT, COMMISSIONERS APPROVED THE AGENDA ITEM TO PAY BILLS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE $400 PAYMENT TO PRESERVATION TEXAS.