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Newton County approves $10,000 mileage amendment to reimburse justices of the peace on call
Summary
The Newton County Commissioners Court approved a $10,000 budget amendment split among precincts 1–4 to reimburse justices of the peace for county travel while on call. The amendment funds mileage at the county rate and was adopted by voice vote.
The Newton County Commissioners Court approved a $10,000 budget amendment to reimburse justices of the peace (JPs) for mileage incurred while performing county business while on call.
The court voted to add $10,000 to be split among JP budgets for precincts 1, 2, 3 and 4; the motion carried on a voice vote. The amendment will fund mileage reimbursements when JPs leave work and perform county duties or travel away from their normal commute, not routine travel to and from work.
Court members argued the change was intended to reimburse JPs for documented travel during on-call duties rather than increase salaries. The county’s current standard mileage rate referenced in the discussion is $0.70 per mile. Commissioners and JPs discussed practical details including uneven travel burdens by precinct, occasional heavy months, and the county’s rules on general fund carryover, with participants noting unspent amounts would return to the general fund under normal budget rules.
During debate commissioners and elected justices proposed sample splits and line-item amounts. Several suggested $2,000 per precinct as a defensible baseline; others discussed alternative splits tied to expected travel. Court members also noted efforts to reduce travel by expanding remote appearance technology for inquests and jail matters, but said jail staffing and inmate-processing logistics continue to require some in-person trips.
The amendment was described as a reimbursable expense to compensate wear-and-tear and operating costs for personal vehicles used on county business; it does not change base salaries. The court directed that mileage apply only when JPs conduct county business away from the workplace (for example, responding to inquests or jail duties) and affirmed existing rules that commute travel to and from the regular workplace is not reimbursable.
The court recorded the motion and voice vote; no roll-call tally by name was read into the record.
