[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6512806,"mediaKeyId","5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474","parentId",5085924,"title","Precinct 1 constable seeks an extra deputy and clerk pay bump as civil-service caseloads rise","audioSeconds",296,"startMs",9691000,"endMs",9987000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474&start=9691&end=9987","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474/thumbnail_9691000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6512806/Lubbock-County/Texas/Precinct-1-constable-seeks-an-extra-deputy-and-clerk-pay-bump-as-civil-service-caseloads-rise","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512806-1c59d2e87fba422edf1827f37701b173/orig.mp4?Expires=1770891298&Signature=Jd17QsWfi4MEvnUE~Ka9U0M1SFKf-7VaZzjuTuo9EnxIg6xEzFcFuZ4729d4hcixnh1avZD-lS4zzaR5G-0kOvVxv0wOqcv1zNET3zQNPWns~eteWihP2FgElv-IrpbxqsPAwN1Tp4xsfVIZn-lfxGAu62l48LNPnItHZ3esK-2T9DpDJCRwPG3mhcAPGrvJgJhBFQx6GvEiw4IyyUKFrHPR1KuJe5nksiLcfy9LeP0JJRuzQ6WNibu7-qANezHDkfnB2bwwWW-zduxirQsm26gENEK4pCKurv23bAyvKWyhMfHdJNPY-jh7zFZVkSqE1hZhKkQcl7GbSSbPFSilnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lubbock","date","2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","article","The Precinct 1 constable asked Lubbock County commissioners on June 26 to add one deputy position and to raise his clerk’s pay by 3 percent, citing substantial year‑over‑year growth in civil-process work and an increase in calls for service.

In a brief budget presentation the constable provided monthly service counts for the current budget year and said civil-process work — evictions, writs and similar papers — has increased roughly 20 to 34 percent in recent years. “With the economy the way it is, we do see a lot more foreclosures and evictions and lawsuits that come out,” the constable said, adding that those filings increase the office’s service workload and administrative processing.

The constable proposed funding one additional deputy at the same pay as the current deputy and said he had discussed arranging a spare vehicle through the county garage so the office can maintain operations if a patrol vehicle needs repair. He noted the office already brings revenue into county coffers through service fees but reminded the court some payors — including the attorney general and property-tax suits handled by the tax office — are billed and paid after service, so fees may appear later in county receipts.

For the clerk, the constable asked for a 3 percent increase to help compensate for a heavier administrative load that includes billing and coordinating service across multiple agencies. The constable also said his office uses federal or state LEOS grants for training-related travel, which helps limit county training costs.

No vote was recorded. Commissioners asked staff to evaluate whether a spare vehicle from the county fleet could be reassigned and to include the constable’s personnel request in budget deliberations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lubbock - Commissioners Court Work Session - Jun 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The precinct 1 constable told commissioners his office’s civil-process workload rose substantially and asked for one additional deputy position, a 3% increase for his clerk, and a spare vehicle from county garage, noting some fee revenue is billed after service and may not yet appear in monthly receipts.","taxTitle","Lubbock County, Texas","taxId",2711,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512808,"Justice of the Peace Riley raises backlog and furniture problems, seeks staff support for rising truancy caseload",263,10033000,10296000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474&start=10033&end=10296","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474/thumbnail_10033000.jpg","/articles/6512808/Lubbock-County/Texas/Justice-of-the-Peace-Riley-raises-backlog-and-furniture-problems-seeks-staff-support-for-rising-truancy-caseload","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512808-a53c0cf273d75bb68150f1d231bceb8b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770891298&Signature=PRLjHd4ILUSPjk9Y21TasyxAgMmHU6U2T5sUhD9KXkfaHytXtbx2TTMBbGM65~PfZnqR2SIpVPkwjx8J~OgOXeIEe1E-dS~L6HYAvj6xZXDJmPd1TnnHgxxBczoCw8Z773Xi2nGlWSOov7M5whyPYBcMq4a1XCvY-5xtMtWxlxtC4Q3jTqPsqRnFm9nAu~sWUl4jeVxmvkae2CQk3cNhFl37chE4yd8gCcrS1vhfgNrcB~8XESPQl~Gw0-d3OWCNh6UCmLKYGVThmXtnu6Gro8GPy~uXO4X4rSZb9BTmTbelELv5JRWfsaNSumFp4FbkmTVF7yaV62IMFZ8Aay4nJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Justice of the Peace Judge Riley discussed operational issues and budget requests for her JP court at the June 26 Lubbock County work session, telling commissioners that an Odyssey/Tyler conversion left many dismissed cases still showing as open and that the court needs ergonomic furniture and additional administrative support to handle rising truancy filings.

Riley said large volumes of legacy misdemeanor and civil-ticket records carried forward at conversion and that county staff and vendor contacts advised a correction should be feasible. “I had close to 30,000 cases that were still out there,” Riley said of the pre-conversion backlog she inherited, and she told the court that roughly 11,000 cases still show as pending despite having been dismissed in earlier processing.

Riley asked the court to prioritize two operational items: replacing worn public-counter and clerk workstation furniture and addressing rising truancy and parent-contributing caseloads. She presented a vendor estimate her office had requested and said a complete workstation replacement would run about $42,000–$45,000; she asked the court to consider that allocation for FY26. Her presentation also described heavy truancy volumes after the court took on more school filings during the year; Riley said participation and filings for parent-contributing-to-nonattendance cases increased substantially as several schools began filing with her court.

On staffing, Riley said she had budgeted a part-time clerk previously but did not hire that position and proposed reallocating available funds for furniture in the near term. She also asked the court to consider a path for increasing the pay of her clerk, arguing workload justifies a modest raise. Separately, Riley mentioned that some jurisdictions have awarded judges handling large truancy dockets modest supplements and said she may pursue the formal grievance or statutory process for adjusting elected-official pay if the court does not provide relief.

No vote or final decision occurred; commissioners agreed to discuss funding reallocation and review the furniture estimate and the status of the part-time position during later budget deliberations.

—Reporters’ note: case-count figures and the furniture estimate are drawn from Judge Riley’s presentation to the court and her discussion with county IT and facilities.","JP Judge Riley told commissioners her court’s case-conversion issues have left thousands of dismissed cases showing as pending in the system, she requested funding to replace worn furniture (estimated $42,000–$45,000), and she described a significant increase in truancy and parent-contributing caseloads.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512814,"Court administration seeks AV upgrades, staffing continuity and planning to handle bail-reform reporting",500,2881000,3381000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474&start=2881&end=3381","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474/thumbnail_2881000.jpg","/articles/6512814/Lubbock-County/Texas/Court-administration-seeks-AV-upgrades-staffing-continuity-and-planning-to-handle-bail-reform-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512814-c126b912c618a7cfef4869040cf8b985/orig.mp4?Expires=1770891298&Signature=ZTJNcFrljiFtBZVMoO3NeZ9kjaazskKH8A~pR7wHVdNAuveJ1-9isyMQj0NgoMoLYmUTIR8xBFGh2~oG27BqKQSmY9Kp7VUG11V3cStFOaRakYcl9qvu8dTvAHKCI7QvSBKbMxCTEHuUPBhldQuUTbJdFnE6QypOxtZcltQ7xU67oVEagKWmZngdzMOEDKH-b3n76L3PPRlDJePEg8x4FWsYa8PYRE3i9lP8bcmWK9zSd-DtK89FHKElgs9mTn8i7SRjn-qVeolc4dsf7tI1bndyyxSr-7MvF2jRWpOvaCSmwioJXNK6y0Cy9KYvlSDs4e-CxcD5LVGZccmPykySww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dean Stanzione, director of Court Administration, and Sammy Smith briefed Lubbock County commissioners on court operations, technology upgrades and potential budget impacts from recent and pending state criminal-justice laws at the June 26 work session.

The presentation focused on three connected needs: courtroom audio-visual (AV) upgrades completed and planned to improve recordings and public access; rising costs for transcripts and interpreters; and new reporting, data and staffing burdens from state bail-reform measures that require additional magistrate and pretrial reporting.

Stanzione reviewed recent AV improvements in county courtrooms and said the county had replaced decades-old systems to ensure reliable recording and public access. He noted remaining work to ensure streaming and administrative-open-court compliance for hearings held in the detention center’s courtroom.

Smith outlined caseload and indigent-defense trends. He told commissioners that appointed-attorney and expert services have risen, particularly in complex felony and capital cases, and that the county’s regional public-defender (RPDO) and local public defender (LPDO) arrangements affect budget certainty: counties pay RPDO premiums as an insurance model but face large, one-off costs when RPDO conflicts occur. “Those two line items alone this year so far are sitting around $450,000,” Smith said, referring to professional services tied to capital and complex cases.

Both presenters warned that SB6 (prior bail-related reforms) and SB9 (pending, with phased effective dates) add new electronic-notice and reporting requirements and could require a designated county recipient for electronic notices and more magistrate documentation. Smith said the court team is still charting some SB9 deadlines and workflows but flagged additional staff time and technical needs as likely budget impacts.

To reduce single-point knowledge loss and speed system changes, Stanzione and Smith recommended building functional-analyst capacity — staff embedded in departments who understand workflow end to end and can work with IT on Odyssey/Tyler and associated court systems. They argued that the county’s ongoing Odyssey/Tyler work depends on local subject-matter expertise and that grant-funded or ongoing projects should preserve cross-functional knowledge.

Stanzione and Smith also asked the court to note rising fixed costs: interpreter fees and transcript costs have trended upward and can spike for multi-day trials or when multiple language or sign-language interpreters are required. They recommended keeping close oversight of claims, transcript and contracted services budgets.

No formal action was taken; presenters asked the court to consider AV follow-ups, staffing prioritization for functional analysts, and budgeting for increased interpreter and transcript costs when drafting the FY26 budget.

—Reporters’ note: discussion referenced SB6 and SB9 by name and identified several one-time and recurring costs in court operations and indigent-defense spending.","The court administration presented FY26 departmental budget items including courtroom audio-visual upgrades, increased interpreter and transcript costs, and recommended functional-analyst roles to preserve institutional knowledge as SB6 and SB9 expand reporting and magistrate duties.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512818,"Lubbock County considers higher health and workers’ comp budgets as claims rise; staff offers premium proposals",154,4716000,4870000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474&start=4716&end=4870","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474/thumbnail_4716000.jpg","/articles/6512818/Lubbock-County/Texas/Lubbock-County-considers-higher-health-and-workers-comp-budgets-as-claims-rise-staff-offers-premium-proposals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512818-fcfbe72fbe37cfd550dc0d808caa13a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770891298&Signature=dkGBkzhcwqQ509xp1b9TSyKBLiOyLYIUSouKnh6K2f0xT833veqFhpSis4aQ1GkubTli--RoO0aO5OFEXqiAe0EjkeZKqhB0mExC-fGKMCgkRuu5NNPR0GF-TeDNpSENpYT76tptgJTtBUh3jj2pBfvJPErC2vS2YCY9bkUQJmvH5q8mXNHT3q6~dHmT9GNOB3cquXrWNl0ftlrJtkHxp8XhBf~Y35Jr6RkO1ZkjGo-~RcvbyJSI87WVEBJ9dYrP3JIGKLblGZtL1Oa0HpJFM-xx7h6c0K4lfA3gv0z9Xd1EoojEe~wPj3knQIPwhSX2cjBqrrDznlbvI3E-jNsKMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lubbock County human resources presented projections and budget requests for workers’ compensation and the county health care fund at the commissioners’ June 26 work session, citing higher recent claims and two premium proposals for the court to consider.

The nut of the discussion: rising claims and medical inflation have prompted HR to propose raising the county’s budget for claims costs and ask the court to consider modest increases in employer and employee premium contributions alongside cost-of-living and merit decisions.

Melanie Hall, the county’s human resources director, told the court the county’s medical-plan participation had grown about 5 percent and that recent claim experience put the county’s 12-month claims increase at roughly 20.1 percent. She said the county’s budget request increases the employee health-benefit claims line to $13 million and asks for a higher HSA employer contribution in FY26 — from $1.5 million last year to $1.725 million in the request.

Hall outlined two premium proposals to shift employer/employee cost splits. Proposal A would move employee-only coverage to a 95/5 employer/employee split and keep family coverage at an 80/20 split; Proposal B would move to roughly 94/6 for employee-only and 79/21 for family coverage. Staff estimated the county’s share would rise under Proposal A by roughly $57,700 compared with the current projected employer costs.

On stop-loss and workers’ compensation, HR said the county’s excess workers’ compensation retention is $1 million and that the county’s specific medical stop-loss threshold is $325,000 per member; HR projected an excess premium near $315,000 based on estimated payroll. HR also reported that in FY24 the county experienced 156 indemnity claims (lost-time), 75 medical-only claims and 77 report-only claims; through May of the current fiscal year HR reported 104 claims total (3 indemnity, 40 medical, 61 report-only).

Commissioners pressed on timing and fairness. One commissioner asked that any premium change be considered in tandem with the court’s deliberations on COLA and merit increases so employees would not effectively take a pay cut. “If we’re going to go with proposal A or proposal B, my recommendation would be proposal A. If we’re going with that, it must be tied into the COLA and merit raises as well,” the commissioner said.

HR said any premium-change decisions would take effect with the calendar-year insurance contract in January 2026 and that staff will continue monitoring claims on a monthly basis and recommended quarterly insurance committee reviews going forward.

No vote was taken. The presentation left three clear follow-ups: commissioners must set COLA and merit policy; HR will return with final actuarial recommendations and one year of claims from UMR; and any premium changes would be tied to the court’s decision on employee pay adjustments.

—Reporters’ note: figures cited in this article come from HR’s budget presentation to the court and include staff-provided projections and claims-history summaries.","Human Resources presented budget projections showing rising medical and pharmacy claims, proposals to adjust employee premium splits, and unchanged HSA employer contributions tied to fiscal planning; commissioners discussed timing and links to COLA and merit considerations.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512823,"Lubbock County commissioners debate restoring dedicated parks tax and use of park reserves",259,88000,347000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474&start=88&end=347","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5085924-996a2d6a669a0e1c83c7fa73d120a474/thumbnail_88000.jpg","/articles/6512823/Lubbock-County/Texas/Lubbock-County-commissioners-debate-restoring-dedicated-parks-tax-and-use-of-park-reserves","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512823-12f4fc0de1014d90795a247e461c778f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770891298&Signature=dIVfnm14QRriQ-PREfilxeXSSEOjVQBtumdw5BWLhgEgtLXo6g5T4A9BUnlbzfF30mlQo3Q0OUQfWT981XIu5g34SJ07y5uO6pimwms4km22TXPHFklRCx4gCK-XshOUTspEqjYDK5bNmlcdDj4amFOLOTG7q7UomhkTj5oJmamvpIGp4vAS3VMWGr58NwXuiNiUy8DTscFfmhqpvOPe9SsFV3DSn7iNf3zGh9QSMOqs3amg6hobMZcH0yzS21RXeR5D65Mipu1i1i6eNxj6fEqpu~wr0Zbujaya8CApQm9GxONEYheUB~LT8C~6TpV~ah0xQ6OagUsLENFPfMwhqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lubbock County commissioners discussed restoring a dedicated parks tax rate and how to treat recent increases in park rental revenue at a work session on June 26, 2025 in the Commissioners Courtroom.

The issue matters because the county’s decision affects how property tax revenue and precinct reserves will be allocated between parks, roads and other county priorities at a time when park rental revenue has risen since the county implemented a reservation and credit-card payment system.

County staff said they will bring finalized revenue numbers in August after July collections are posted. “My plan for that is not to set the revenues for contributions for your parks until July,” said a county staff member who presented parks revenue figures. The staff member said the July data will show whether the new reservation system is producing sustained revenue increases that could affect each precinct’s budget.

Commissioners disputed the underlying philosophy. One commissioner argued the county should move away from dedicated tax line items and fund parks from the general fund so the county can allocate resources where they are most needed. “I don’t like a dedicated tax out of there,” that commissioner said, adding the county should fund needs from a single general fund tax rate. Another commissioner pushed back, saying the court previously moved away from the dedicated rate only last year and that some precincts rely on their park allocations for maintenance and operations.

Officials identified concrete numbers and past decisions. County staff said the previous parks tax rate had been 0.005 and that parks’ share from that rate would have amounted to roughly $600,000 last year when split across precincts. Commissioners also recalled a one-time distribution of ARPA funds — described in the meeting as $200,000 for park upgrades in some precincts — that some precincts used for sprinkler systems and other improvements. One commissioner said precinct-level ARPA projects included sprinkler-system upgrades and picnic-shade structures paid with those federal funds.

Several commissioners also raised equity and operational questions: precinct park facilities vary in size and amenities, some precincts contract out maintenance, and some elected precinct officials use clubhouses as satellite offices. Commissioners discussed whether equipment and staff positions historically funded through precinct park allocations could be reassigned to Road & Bridge if the court opts to repurpose some park-percentage revenue for road repairs.

No formal action or vote was recorded during the work session. Staff will return in August with updated July revenue results and a recommendation; commissioners indicated they expect another discussion to reach a consensus on whether to restore the dedicated parks tax rate or continue funding parks from the general fund.

The court recessed after the parks discussion and proceeded to other budget items.—Reporters’ note: the court’s parks discussion combined precinct-by-precinct budget presentations and a broader policy debate about dedicated tax line items versus general-fund financing.","At a June 26 work session, Lubbock County commissioners discussed whether to restore a dedicated parks tax rate, how to treat recent increases in park rental revenue, and how ARPA and reserve funds should be used amid competing road and parks needs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Precinct 1 constable seeks an extra deputy and clerk pay bump as civil-service caseloads rise

Justice of the Peace Riley raises backlog and furniture problems, seeks staff support for rising truancy caseload

Court administration seeks AV upgrades, staffing continuity and planning to handle bail-reform reporting

Lubbock County considers higher health and workers’ comp budgets as claims rise; staff offers premium proposals

Lubbock County commissioners debate restoring dedicated parks tax and use of park reserves