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County judge travel request approved after tense debate over travel approvals and oversight
Summary
Commissioners debated whether the county judge should be approved to attend a mandated judicial education session and whether travel approvals should remain a court-level item; commissioners raised concerns about the judge's absences and outstanding reconciliations before ultimately recording approval.
Dimmit County commissioners approved a request for the County Judge to attend a spring judicial education session in Lubbock, but the approval followed an extended and at times heated debate over the county’s practice of placing travel and training approvals on the commissioners’ court agenda.
The judge told the court the spring judicial session is mandatory for judges serving on the training committee and said the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) had chosen her to serve on a judicial committee; she described the training as required for her role.
Several commissioners questioned whether the court should continue as a routine approver of travel that is already budgeted, and one commissioner said constituents complain the judge is often out of the office and that pending appeals and purchase orders were being held up. The commissioner said that while staff and other elected officials sometimes travel with little scrutiny, the judge’s absences were raising concerns because of the judge’s broader responsibilities.
At least one commissioner said the court should not pay for the judge’s travel until outstanding reconciliation or payment issues were resolved; the judge said the training remains mandatory and that the travel was budgeted. The court recorded a motion to allow the judge to attend the March session; the motion carried.
