NEWS

JANUARY 2010                             

253^rd court costs

news story

01.13.10

on tuesday, liberty county COMMISSIONERS once again took up the issue of personnel salaries and expenses related to the 253^rd district court. during tuesday’s regular meeting, county judge phil fitzgerald insisted the county is paying more than its fair share of these SALARIES and expenses that he felt should be DIVIDED between the court’s RESPONSIBILITIES in liberty and chambers counties. judge fitzgerald challenged the pay and travel allowance for the 253^rd court reporter as well as that court’s bailiff pay.

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phil fitzgerald told commissioners state law calls for The court reporter’s pay be DIVIDED between liberty and chambers counties based on population. That means liberty county should pay 72.94 percent of these costs while chambers county covers the remaining 27.06 percent. the liberty county judge also brought up a travel allowance that is being paid by liberty county for the court reporter to presumably travel to CHAMBERS county to work. he challenged the legality of that as well as the amount being paid. in either case, judge fitzgerald said liberty county is paying more than a fair share. according to the judge’s calculations, liberty county is paying $5,927 extra this year related to the court reporter’s pay and expenses. as for the 253^rd court BAILIFF, he is receiving a full salary in liberty county of $43,860. That is the same pay the 75^th district court BAILIFF gets. however, the 253^rd court BAILIFF also gets paid another $17.22 an hour when he is working in chambers county. judge fitzgerald said that means the 253^rd BAILIFF is being paid to work in chambers county while he is being paid to work the same hours in liberty county. based on judge FITZGERALD’S calculations, that means liberty county paid $9,611 too much in 2009 because the chambers county hours should have been taken off the pay in liberty county. between the issues surrounding the 253^rd district court reporter and BAILIFF, phil fitzgerald said liberty county is paying About $15,500 more for the 25rd court staff than it should be spending. commissioner lee groce asked county attorney wes hinch to request an attorney general’s opinion on these issues. in the meantime, the item was tabled until the next commissioners MEETING on january 26.