Primary Department: District Courts
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Richard Woods
Secondary Department: Choose an item.
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): Choose an item.
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for approval to increase the salaries of appointed judicial officers, as a result of Senate Bill 293 being enacted on June 22, 2025.
end
Background and Discussion:
Enacted as part of the 89th Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 293 increases District Court judges State base salary by 25%, and allows the County supplement amount to be increased up to a maximum of $25,000. This change is effective 9/1/2025. If the County supplement is increased from $18,000 to $25,000 the maximum compensation for a District Court Judge is $200,000 (0 to 4 years of service), $217,500 (4 to 8 years of service), $235,000 (8+ years of service), and $245,500 (12+ years of service).
Conversely, if the County supplement for a District Judge remains at $18,000 the maximum compensation for a District Court Judge is $193,000 (0 to 4 years of service), $210,500 (4 to 8 years of service), $228,000 (8+ years of service), and $238,500 (12+ years of service).
10 Family Division Associate Judges
Texas Family Code § 201.001 and 201.101 authorize the appointment of Family Division Associate Judges. However, the Commissioners Court determines the amount and pays the salary of Family Division Associate Judges, pursuant to section 201.003. Our Family Division Associate Judges are full-time permanent positions fully funded by Harris County. Historically, Associate Judge salaries are set at 90% of a District Court judge (0 to 4 years of service). With the passing of SB293, the minimum annual salary of a Harris County District Courts Judge with 0 to 4 years of service will be $193,000, and the maximum annual salary is $200,000 if the County Supplement is increased to the maximum $25,000. This would reset the new annual salary rate for all 10 Family Division Associate Judges to a minimum of $173,700 and maximum of $180,000 contingent on the District Courts Judges receiving an increase to the County supplement.
2 Criminal Division Visiting Judges
Two full-time Criminal Division Visiting Judges are appointed to preside over the Responsive Intervention for Change (RIC) docket, and the Felony Mental Health Court (FMHC). Both positions are fully funded by Harris County. Both of their salaries are equal to a District Courts Judge with 0 to 4 years of service, which will be a minimum of $193,000 and a maximum of $200,000, effective September 1, 2025.
Judge Tommy “Brock” Thomas is the assigned RIC docket Judge. Previously named the Reintegration Impact docket, the RIC docket was created by the Harris County Criminal District Court Trail Division Order that consolidates nearly 5,000 low-level felony cases each year into a single docket. This high-volume consolidated docket receives cases from all 29 Criminal District Courts. The key performance metric is reduced recidivism rates for low-level offenders through diversion to therapeutic programs and community supervision or pretrial intervention. Judge Thomas’ current salary is $157,997.
Judge Mark Ellis is the assigned Felony Mental Health Court (FMHC) judge. Defined in the Texas Government Code, Chapter 125, the FMHC is a collaborative partnership between criminal justice partners that includes a network of community-based providers. This high-volume court targets offenders with a serious mental health diagnosis or a co-occurring mental health diagnosis and a substance use disorder. Judge Ellis’ current annual salary is only set at $3,950 because other visiting judges used to assist with presiding over the FMHC, however, Judge Ellis is now the only Visiting Judge assigned to it and consequently is working a full-time schedule.
1 CPC Associate Judge & 1 CPC Court Coordinator
Texas Family Code § 201.105 and 201.205 mandates that Child Support and Child Protection Associate Judges are entitled to 90% of the salary of a District Judge with comparable years of service. Consequently, Associate Judge Katrina Griffin is entitled to a salary adjustment. Her current salary of $157,500 will increase to $189,000 based on her more than 12 years of service. The 11th Judicial Region reimburses Harris County 100% for her salary. Judge Griffin’s salary increase is effective September 1, 2025.
|
Years of Service |
State Salary |
|
0-4 years (Base Salary) |
$157,500 |
|
4-8 years |
$173,250 |
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8+ years |
$189,000 |
The 89th Legislature also appropriated a salary increase for the Children’s Courts’ Court Coordinators in the General Appropriations Act effective September 1, 2025. They are receiving a 15% increase specifically appropriated for their positions as well as an additional 6% increase that was appropriated across the board for all non-judge and non-attorney staff in the judiciary. The total 21% increase for Court Coordinator Inocensia Moreno would go from $82,077 to $99,313.
Approved by Commissioners Court on 8/6/24, the Interlocal Cooperative Agreement for Child Protection Court Funding, effectuated between Harris County and Texas Office of Court Administration, indicates the State of Texas will reimburse Harris County for these salaries.
3 Juvenile Division Associate Judges and 1 Juvenile Detention Referee
Texas Family Code § 201.001 and 201.101 authorize the appointment of Juvenile Division Associate Judges. Commissioners Court determines the amount and pays the salary of Juvenile Division Associate Judges, pursuant to section 201.003. Our Juvenile Division Associate Judges and Detention Referee are full-time permanent positions fully funded by Harris County. Juvenile Division Associate Judges and Detention Referee salaries are set at 90% of a District Court judge (0 to 4 years of service). As previously stated, this would reset the new annual salary rate for these four appointed judicial officers to a minimum of $173,700 and maximum of $180,000 contingent on the District Courts Judges receiving an increase to the County supplement.
County Supplement for 8 Juvenile Division Court Referees and 22 Visiting Judges
These former Elected District Court Judges that are appointed to serve as a part-time Visiting Judge are paid a nominal annual County supplement ranging from $450 to $3,950. There appointments may be in any of the four District Courts Divisions (Civil, Criminal, Family and Juvenile). The requested 25% increase in compensation raises the annual minimum County supplement from $450 to $562, and the maximum County supplement from $3,950 to $4,938 per judicial officer.
6 Criminal Division Associate Judges
If the FY26 Service Enhancement request for the current ARPA funded 6 Criminal Division Associate Judges is approved by Commissioners Court to become general fund positions, their salaries should also be set at 90% of a District Courts Judge with 0 to 4 years of service. This would set the new annual salary rate for these 6 Associate Judges to a minimum of $173,700 and maximum of $180,000, contingent on the District Courts Judges receiving an increase to the County supplement.
Expected Impact:
Increasing the salaries of these appointed judicial officers is imperative to enhancing employee retention. Failure to retain the people in these mission-critical positions will result backlog while their replacements are recruited and trained.
Alternative Options:
Commissioners Court should definitely approve the salary increases for which they are reimbursed by the Texas Office of Court Administration. For the remaining positions, Commissioners Court could decide to approve a lower salary increase, or not approve an increase.
County Strategic Plan Goal: N/A
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
8/6/24 |
182 |
Interlocal Agreement between Harris County and Texas Office of Court Administration (OCA) approved by Commissioners Court about the CPS Court. |
Location:
Address (if applicable):
Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Service Name |
Compensation |
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Current Fiscal Year Cost |
Annual Fiscal Cost |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
Recurring Expenses |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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1000 - General Fund |
$ 3,553,388 |
$0 |
$ 3,553,388 |
$ 3,553,388 |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
|
Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Existing Budget |
$ 3,553,388 |
$0 |
$ 3,553,388 |
$3,553,388 |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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1000 - General Fund |
$ 864,573 |
$0 |
$ 864,573 |
$ 864,573 |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$ 864,573 |
$0 |
$ 864,573 |
$ 864,573 |
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Total Funding Sources |
$4,417,961 |
$0 |
$ 4,417,961 |
$ 4,417,961 |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Labor |
Non-Labor |
Total |
No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Additional Positions Request |
- |
- |
- |
- |
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Total Personnel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Anticipated Court Date: 7/10/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): 10/1/2025
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Richard Woods, Court Administrator, District Courts
Attachments (if applicable):
1. Judicial Salary Memo from Texas Office of Court Administration (6/24/25)