Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Justice Diversion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners dissolve justice court alternative sentencing department, create juvenile diversion coordinator positions
Summary
Midland County Commissioners voted to dissolve the centralized Justice Court Alternative Sentencing department, split its remaining budget evenly among the four justice courts, and create a juvenile diversion coordinator position for each justice court funded from those allocations.
The Commissioners Court voted to dissolve the county's Justice Court Alternative Sentencing department and reallocate its remaining funds to the four justice of the peace (JP) courts, a move that will fund a new juvenile diversion coordinator position in each JP court.
Court staff explained that the three employees assigned to the alternative sentencing department could have been transferred to individual JP offices but that each judge declined to accept transfers; the court therefore moved to dissolve the standalone department. A commissioner explained the plan: split the department's remaining salary budget into four equal parts and place those funds under each JP court to create one juvenile diversion coordinator post per JP. The court adopted a pay-grade starting at a grade 12.1 for each new coordinator and recorded that existing budgeted salary funds were sufficient so no contingency funds would be required.
The court took three related votes: to dissolve the department, to approve the transfer of remaining funds split evenly among the four JP courts, and to create the juvenile diversion coordinator positions with the attached job description and starting salary grade. All motions carried.
Court members discussed procedural options for discussing personnel matters (an executive session could be used if the discussion turned to individual employees) and confirmed the JPs had not requested any of the employees be transferred into their individual courts. The action transfers organizational responsibility for juvenile diversion work from a centralized county department to individual justice courts, and funds are to be used for the new coordinator posts as described.
