Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Judicial Pay topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House Bill 85 shifts superior court pay; county adjusts supplements and budgets for additional judges
Summary
County staff told commissioners that House Bill 85 increases superior-court salaries and reduces the local supplement; the county moved supplements into other budget lines, factored in state reimbursements for a juvenile associate judge and included larger state court pay estimates tied to the superior-court increase.
County finance staff briefed commissioners on how state legislation and local requests alter the courts budget for FY2026.
Alicia Searcy summarized the statutory change and local impact: "House bill 85 increased the superior court pay from about $1.38 to to $201,000 per year. And the intent was to relieve the county of the supplement that we pay each year." (Transcript language reflects the presentation wording.) Searcy explained that Carroll County had been paying a $50,000 annual supplement per superior court judge; under the legislative change the supplement was expected to drop and the county would realize savings once the law becomes effective.
Why it matters: Changes to state-set salaries for judges materially affect county payroll obligations, supplement decisions and training or program funding inside the judicial budget.
Details from the presentation - Effective date and savings timing: Searcy said House Bill 85 goes into effect Jan. 1, 2026, and any county savings would appear later in the budget cycle. - Superior court supplements: The county historically supplemented superior court judges; Searcy said the superior court requested the county leave funds in their budget for training, problem-solving courts and technology; staff moved the supplement amount into a miscellaneous line ($22,000 in the draft) rather than salary so the funds remain available for those uses. - State court pay: State court judge salary is set as a percentage (80%) of the superior-court rate. With the superior-court increase, Searcy noted that adding a second state-court judge could cost about $55,098 per year per judge; the county can pause implementation under the statute until the next July if commissioners prefer. - Juvenile court: The draft includes $64,000 in contractual services for an associate juvenile court judge at the request of Judge Palmer; Searcy said the associate judge reimbursement from the state will offset part of that cost.
Process notes and next steps Staff provided these figures for commissioners to consider and noted some budgetary adjustments could be made by shifting existing funds rather than increasing the millage rate. Commissioners asked for clarifications about how contractual costs and prior temporary judge payments interact with the new salary lines; staff said they would confirm accounting treatment with the judiciary.
Ending Staff left the budget line in place for judicial program needs while seeking to capture any statutory savings the county will realize once House Bill 85 takes effect.
