[{"_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",6174694,"mediaKeyId","5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031","parentId",5368056,"title","Judges seek more pay for court reporters and higher pay or reclassification for bailiffs and court staff","audioSeconds",252,"startMs",6514000,"endMs",6766000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031&start=6514&end=6766","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031/thumbnail_6514000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6174694/Nueces-County/Texas/Judges-seek-more-pay-for-court-reporters-and-higher-pay-or-reclassification-for-bailiffs-and-court-staff","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174694-ffa36cf98cfe19deb79230c62e022e41/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414083&Signature=Wmz2s538r22qeoGHzTtOKHEAiWixsvVE5jgh2ChfAP5ey4HNxs8Ex~lzfc2~KjFV2xQFglLxnZ8oKrU-XNBs6UKBNOwmsER0oEfTSteRkUfAt6qxRYMFn1anHaV8NeBsf7JCAEdv9pFFmSzv6TeVkEHcw2O4BZfzh-pR5z8Nxo8HQyZywGRXA3vFajBWVruvx79tU1teTw~YjIFePTWmjUpBtt2r2pXOC9MLs8t71i2RGFeUc7bBixRtal2QyLRKIDEfxAQ2jbjwQAVMMC6Yz4WT-6UiHoGPFHKoinMlCcTRS7QEYNkDljEW0n2g51a0AIo5AzRVH-ZOhazinWwClw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nueces County, TX","date","2025-07-11T22:51:52.947Z","article","Judges and court administrators told the commissioners the county’s court operations are being strained by staff shortages among court reporters, bailiffs and court managers, and urged targeted pay and classification changes during the budget workshop.

Judges asked the court to move court reporters from a five‑percent raise every five years to an annual two‑percent increase and to raise the top pay cap by $5,000 for reporters so the county can retain the few reporters who are at the ceiling. Judges said reported shortages had recently forced courts to rely on roving reporters and that a loss of a reporter could shut down in‑person dockets if a replacement is not available.

Judges also requested modest increases for court managers and bailiffs, saying one court’s bailiff position had gone unfilled for three months and that candidates are accepting higher private‑sector offers. Local judges asked the commissioners to consider those classifications in the budget to prevent courtroom service disruptions and to reduce the need to draw deputies away from other duties.

Why it matters: court staffing affects the ability to run trials and other in‑person dockets and can cause schedule slip that increases jail stays or court continuances. Small, targeted pay or cap adjustments may avoid larger operational and legal costs that emerge from disrupted dockets.

Discussion vs. outcome: commissioners expressed concern and support; judges were asked to supply specific cost estimates and the court will consider the requests during fall budget deliberations. No votes were taken at the workshop.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7/10/2025 Nueces County Budget Workshop - Part 1","oneSentenceSummary","Local judges told the commissioners’ court that court reporters, managers and bailiffs are difficult to recruit and retain at current pay levels; they asked the court to consider annual raises for court reporters, higher caps and modest increases for court managers and bailiffs so courts can operate reliably.","taxTitle","Nueces County, Texas","taxId",2715,"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},6174699,"Juvenile detention officials seek two full‑time supervision officers as population rises",782,4303000,5085000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031&start=4303&end=5085","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031/thumbnail_4303000.jpg","/articles/6174699/Nueces-County/Texas/Juvenile-detention-officials-seek-two-fulltime-supervision-officers-as-population-rises","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174699-9834d47635850087e7dfd25cabae2866/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414083&Signature=luAeWphXE5cUsYXzJzsbGjP2aLlLdl~9UEMtXhOp2JmVTCrRtYTwW2t2B6lNu-qMtOWSZYVoylJCEiOipyRBlF5hY-mtMB-8l4zwEXaiGaBD7FwRbgp3aOr0kLeff6WpzXzH1fPqQ-Zl3hALScwsFgsy1ZPTaY7N0b4c7ytpfAk9mApXSZtoNA5gZs6WTrk~t6ACXeV1YwLUUyUOKNFe7saJdcsGdU8mxRkNyq1EdcViEhU24WkF9fGU5zqcx1fRS-jLz2CjMcR9i-Ch9VtBHCaBGf7Eyxkcb8TovM8Lm6D3tlsEoo17ISkIfdrx~zSoc95XO2y6YY-A35cz0coxbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Officials from the county juvenile detention center told the commissioners’ court they have seen a steady rise in juvenile admissions, a growing share of felony and violent cases, and mounting staff burnout that has pushed overtime and temporary staffing higher. The detention director said average daily population rose about 55% from 2022 to 2024 and the facility is seeing more juveniles who are medically or psychiatrically complex.

The center asked for funding to add two full‑time juvenile supervision officers to relieve staff strain and shorten response times for court, medical and mental‑health appointments. Staff described frequent 1‑on‑1 mental‑health supervision mandates that remove deputies from general housing counts and create additional strain. The estimated recurring cost for two positions was $75,837 for salaries and $92,612 when fringe benefits are included, the director said.

Officials said that without additional staff, overtime obligations and morale problems will continue to grow and that long hiring timelines make it important to start recruitment now. Commissioners expressed concern and asked juvenile services leaders to help draft a staged hiring and training plan that could be considered in the upcoming budget.

Why it matters: rising juvenile detention populations and more severe case profiles increase costs for staff, medical care and court processing; adding two deputies would raise recurring personnel costs but — officials said — would reduce overtime and operational strain.

Discussion vs. outcome: commissioners acknowledged the pressure and asked leaders to return with a phased hiring plan and cost schedule; no appropriation or vote was taken at the workshop.","Juvenile detention leaders told the court a 55% rise in average daily population from 2022 to 2024 and increased felony/violent cases mean they need two additional full‑time juvenile supervision officers, at an estimated annual cost of about $92,600 including benefits.",{"_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},6174704,"District attorney urges commissioners to fund higher salaries to stem prosecutor turnover",189,5613000,5802000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031&start=5613&end=5802","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031/thumbnail_5613000.jpg","/articles/6174704/Nueces-County/Texas/District-attorney-urges-commissioners-to-fund-higher-salaries-to-stem-prosecutor-turnover","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174704-4f3ffc518f60b7faef483dbc11b4f4ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414084&Signature=Aj3hpqkE4Rvu5dGip8YJyBzjk3koL71YSM4x5qJlvvZxMZhSFfxoYWergkf8imDKfKu46roMjaB3w2wYtj2aK6PGKvoqcYm6dMLvfifeo4SvV9XosRypjd-qxhc8kXa6csvPiEYeR8p84VXjYfdu4yVu-xOZW8n0cctuqgoSiDgsX-RaSYgwjbd8vu3EIFoIUnNRu0xqyK2OP6nRYcBhTvPLYy5~j5hpCS-VPFlcsFKXypzdWTbyabtB1Xjt8yuN346ITSXIQkjqNAcS3HkPOKzXogSvrMbUXMP4m3bj6uuj4PcXRODJgIuiZ7mTyXgkvcF0NsmKxE946m3zPllyaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The district attorney’s office told the Nueces County Commissioners Court that it remains substantially understaffed, with several senior prosecutors departing for higher pay elsewhere, and asked the court to approve pay increases to make county prosecutor salaries competitive.

Office leaders said the office currently operates well below its authorized complement of attorneys and that the shortage imposes a backlog on felony and juvenile dockets, increases pressure on existing prosecutors and contributes to jail population pressures. Leon Caferrata, misdemeanor chief, outlined a proposed restructured attorney pay scale with simplified grades (misdemeanor, felony, mid‑level, senior, and two complex‑crime slots). The office requested an average increase that would add roughly $610,000 in base salary costs (estimate provided without benefits) to lift starting prosecutor pay and create a clearer progression at higher levels.

The DA team also proposed administrative and investigator staffing changes: seven support positions (six attorney assistants/paralegals to handle discovery and case processing plus one chief investigator), and reclassifications to reflect current duties and market levels. The staff request totals roughly $400,000 (before benefits), the office said.

Leaders described the statewide shortage of prosecutors and recent state funding changes that help some rural counties; they said Nueces County still lacks access to those supplemental funds and needs local action to remain competitive. The DA asked the court to consider pay increases comparable to the state’s newly revised district judge benchmarks and to treat the office as critical core public‑safety personnel.

Why it matters: Prosecutor staffing affects case processing speed, jail populations and public safety outcomes. The DA’s proposal would increase the county’s recurring payroll costs but the office argued higher pay would reduce outsourcing, backlogs and long‑term pressure on the criminal justice system.

Discussion vs. outcome: the court requested more detailed figures and noted the DA’s requests would be considered as part of the overall budget process; no action or appropriation was taken at the workshop.","The county district attorney’s office told the commissioners court it is deeply understaffed and urged salary increases to recruit and retain prosecutors and support staff. The office proposed new pay bands for attorneys, additional legal‑support hires and a chief investigator role.",{"_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},6174709,"Sheriff asks county for jail staffing, inmate‑transport capacity and permanent evidence‑handling role",274,3778000,4052000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031&start=3778&end=4052","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031/thumbnail_3778000.jpg","/articles/6174709/Nueces-County/Texas/Sheriff-asks-county-for-jail-staffing-inmatetransport-capacity-and-permanent-evidencehandling-role","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174709-31a7ede00a26b0d3004926156eb1cdf4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414084&Signature=fdIsStV2Wwzf2M8nRntdEIPdxgFM1dyuD~Gb1JoTP04xtwy9~q7xFEzupBt6Vdb7rac-nsfOkZqY5ViTtfOadx5k0FiBAc1IUeDOpAb3vYqon5qI6i4F-Xyz-052Op-AUk33WKtBmYrR56ki7n1muH8HMzB3g-Ac-~dJXgtEQw4g~dt-EgHq4c8DD8PxRqNcxXtrW8jZx7ErhSzpOVuxtqei89Ls0dEGl69u531RMG3SBiAEpWX5GhFOqk55DjycOd8sxa~P0P7aJHsjcttGLpKt0p6GsQDnBnA4edXAV6PXDdzDj4TrNoreCkb8yhL9~R0fgw3KqGKSJIDitVdhVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Nueces County sheriff briefed the commissioners’ court in the budget workshop about persistent jail needs, an expanding corrections workload and continued use of private firms for prisoner transport. The sheriff said the office has hired many new correctional officers in recent months and is running large training classes, but overtime remains high as cadets complete required certification and experienced staff cover shifts.

The sheriff asked the court for a package of personnel and operating increases: 10 additional correctional officer slots (five to expand prisoner‑transport capacity and five to support jail‑industry operations), funds to add a dedicated evidence‑property specialist to process long‑stored evidence and a supplemental overtime allowance. The sheriff said the county had spent roughly $256,000 on third‑party prisoner transport so far in the current budget year; he said augmenting in‑house transport staffing could reduce that reliance and lower costs.

Sheriff staff and a jail industries captain described trustee crews that perform county property work — mowing, litter pickup and county property cleanup — and said adding staff would increase inmate work crews’ capacity to maintain county assets. Captain Willoughby told commissioners jail industry labor has contributed an estimated $140,000 in community value this year and that additional staffing would expand that program to maintain tax foreclosed properties and other county‑owned parcels.

The sheriff also asked for funding to address deferred maintenance and capital needs at jail facilities, suggested consolidation of some ID and jail budgets for administrative efficiency and said he would work to reassign or reclassify some positions to meet operational priorities.

Why it matters: requests would increase recurring payroll and capital obligations in the county budget but would also reduce reliance on private transport contractors and expand inmate work programs that provide maintenance services to county properties.

Discussion vs. outcome: discussion centered on staffing, health and safety obligations and inmate‑transport costs; no final appropriations or votes were taken during the workshop.","The Nueces County sheriff told commissioners the jail is expanding staff but still needs funds for overtime, transport operations, a dedicated evidence/property employee and 10 new correctional officer slots to run jail industries and reduce outsourced transport costs.",{"_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},6174714,"Nueces County constables ask commissioners for deputies, equipment and vehicle program changes",280,253000,533000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031&start=253&end=533","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5368056-57d862b84ad089010bfb82a552c04031/thumbnail_253000.jpg","/articles/6174714/Nueces-County/Texas/Nueces-County-constables-ask-commissioners-for-deputies-equipment-and-vehicle-program-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6174714-7043ca5adc5d00b9a55cf5ed406428ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1770414084&Signature=oZjsiHvMcX6UfPgTJYXMRZzgItmmSUz8SMTCzWMD9ZydnX~-RMY8LEJtlOKlam7ZsavVyjpVBlB4ebSwPrqsYJ1EbrY0nAhQoVepUQKRwIFNs-KzmC2z7USrhUSzPjb1RgDZWEssHXV4MDnWIldaRTpsPwTAe3958GOqXE9G4kIf5ilRN0DE-0RLXxhha-tg1bMm-Y0YXgg0~vMLxnYIZghar7oXcfzdbvK2UaEemffifTeKDqMUzP-SGB2-rtcIFz9MyOFFG4Ywf26hIQcCugBeTvDS5JCFFSlJ0o6~KXCdvXryCbwWdH--umOeDk-8JBxumyqHqpA-Z6d2ZBFArQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Constables and their staff told the Nueces County Commissioners Court during a budget workshop that public-safety workloads have risen sharply and that their offices need more deputies, vehicle maintenance money and standardized equipment to keep pace. Precinct 2 Constable Jason McCack outlined requests including two additional bailiff/deputy positions, expanded vehicle maintenance funds and $316,634 for a five‑year plan to buy Axon body cameras, Axon taser 10 units and in‑car cameras so his office aligns “with the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office and the Corpus Christi Police Department,” he said.

The constables described operational drivers: rising counts of writs and civil papers, frequent court coverage and expanding call volumes that draw on limited day‑shift staffing. A Constable for Precinct 1 said his office processed roughly 6,690 civil papers in one 12‑month span and had served 4,672 in the first nine months of the next year, and asked for three additional deputies to cover three justice‑of‑the‑peace courts, more overtime, and additional mobile data/cradle‑point service for patrol laptops.

Commissioners and constables also spent substantial time on county vehicle policy. Multiple constables and commissioners said a countywide leasing program and inconsistent equipment outfitting have left some precincts with very old county‑owned vehicles while leased units are swapped out. Commissioners asked Purchasing to present a leasing policy and to propose standard vehicle outfitting lists and replacement triggers; the court directed staff to arrange that presentation during the budget process.

The constables asked that uniformed equipment, body cameras and tasers be standardized across county law‑enforcement agencies so devices and recorded footage are interoperable. McCack said the equipment would improve officer safety and “allow us to track the exact location” of deputies while on duty. Precinct 5 staff and supervisors emphasized public‑safety concerns in outlying areas and asked for more overtime and manpower to avoid single‑officer coverage on long shifts.

Why it matters: constables serve both civil‑process and first‑response roles across Nueces County. Their requests — more deputies, vehicle maintenance, interoperable body‑worn and in‑car camera systems and clarity on the leasing program — would increase recurring personnel and capital spending and affect county fleet policy.

Discussion vs. outcome: the workshop produced no formal votes. Commissioners asked Purchasing and Fleet Management to present a countywide vehicle/leasing briefing and asked staff to provide cost estimates for standard outfitting and for replacing older county vehicles; no appropriation was adopted at the workshop.","Constables from multiple precincts asked the commissioners’ court during a July budget workshop for more deputies, increased maintenance and equipment funding, and a standardized county vehicle program including body cameras and tasers to match city and sheriff departments.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Judges seek more pay for court reporters and higher pay or reclassification for bailiffs and court staff

Juvenile detention officials seek two full‑time supervision officers as population rises

District attorney urges commissioners to fund higher salaries to stem prosecutor turnover

Sheriff asks county for jail staffing, inmate‑transport capacity and permanent evidence‑handling role

Nueces County constables ask commissioners for deputies, equipment and vehicle program changes