Travis County approves immediate pay adjustments for junior public defenders; county to return with funding plan

Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved phased personnel actions to raise starting pay for junior attorneys in the Travis County Public Defender’s Office, a move county officials said is intended to shore up recruiting and retention as the county expands counsel-at-first-appearance (CAFA) services.

The court unanimously approved a motion by Commissioner Gomez, seconded by Commissioner Howard, authorizing phase‑1 personnel actions to be entered effective March 1 and phase‑2 actions effective March 2, with county staff returning in April with a funding plan to cover remaining costs.

The personnel steps approved Tuesday focus on attorney 1, 2 and 3 positions in the Public Defender’s Office. County budget staff said the target monthly or annual levels are roughly $85,500 for attorney 1, $89,000 for attorney 2 and $92,000 for attorney 3; those figures were the basis for the two‑phase adjustments presented to the court.

Why it matters

Public comment at the March 25 meeting brought dozens of residents, public‑defense staff and advocacy groups to the dais to press the court for faster action on CAFA — counsel at first appearance — and to highlight staffing shortfalls and turnover driven by pay gaps with prosecutor offices. Speakers said early counsel improves release outcomes and reduces jail stays, and they urged the county to finish CAFA rollout and to pay public defenders competitively.

The court’s action is a short‑term step meant to close an “internal equity” gap in junior attorney pay while staff work on a multistep funding plan. County officials emphasized this is not a full market catch‑up versus other large Texas counties, but an immediate retention and recruitment measure intended to reduce vacancies that limit CAFA coverage.

Key details from the court record

- Motion and outcome: Commissioner Gomez moved to approve the personnel actions presented for…