Collin County Commissioners Court on Oct. 13 approved an $850,000 amendment to the fiscal 2025 budget to cover expected invoices and increased costs for court-appointed attorneys, County Administrator Yoon Kim said.

“This is a budget amendment for fiscal year 2025 where we need to amend the budget for $850,000 for expenditures for appointed lawyers,” Yoon Kim, County Administrator, said. “From FY2024 to FY2025, expenditures have increased approximately 17%.”

The amendment covers both adult and juvenile appointed representation and was described by staff as driven by a rise in cases and the county’s growing population. Court discussion noted that the county budgeted the same amount for FY2026 and that a future budget adjustment will likely be needed.

A motion to approve the amendment passed by voice vote, 3-0. The transcript does not identify the individual commissioners who moved or seconded the motion by name.

County staff said the amendment reflects expenditures already incurred and expected invoices remaining for FY2025; no additional details about vendor contracts or per-case costs were provided during discussion. Commissioners did not identify alternative funding sources during the meeting.

The court noted staff will return as needed for future budget adjustments related to appointed counsel costs.