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Kendall County judges ask commissioners to fund court administrator stipend as new district court opens
Summary
Judges and county staff described plans to consolidate shared court-system costs into a single fund as the county establishes a second district court, and asked the commissioners court to include a $12,000-per-year stipend (range requested up to $20,000) for a court administrator in next year’s budget.
Kendall County judges and county budget staff on Tuesday asked the county commissioners to budget a stipend for a court administrator to manage shared functions as the county stands up a second district court, and to move several shared line items into a single court-systems fund.
Why it matters: Kendall County will have two district judges starting Oct. 1. Judges and staff told the commissioners that shared expenses — transcripts, juror costs, interpreter services and contracts with the regional public defenders and the DPS crime lab — are easier to manage in a consolidated court-systems fund rather than split between two judge budgets. They also asked the court to fund a part-time court administrator stipend to coordinate courtroom usage, jury facilities and court security across both courtrooms.
Judge Cahoon described the change as a response to the new court configuration. “We looked at the budget, and it made sense since you’re going to have two district judges to put the court system’s totals in that budget because it’s not going to be one judge or another judge. They’re both going to be using those funds,” she said. Cahoon detailed how the county already funds a court coordinator under Texas Government Code section 74 and asked commissioners to approve a stipend under the court-administrator authority in section 75 so one person can manage shared needs across both courts.
Court staffing and pay: The county has an existing court coordinator, Mateo Santos, who Judge Cahoon said “has been there longer” and is performing much of the coordinating work. Cahoon told the commissioners she is not requesting a new employee; rather she asked that the court administrator role be a stipend paid to an existing coordinator or other person chosen by the judges. “I would like it to be up to 20,000, and then the two judges will pick what that is instead of hiring somebody new,” Cahoon said. She recommended starting the stipend at $12,000 a year, and told the commissioners the judges would set the actual amount within a range.
Budget mechanics and fund structure: County staff explained the technical change: shared contracts and common courtroom costs would move into Department 4.37 (Court Systems) rather than be divided between Department 4.50 (First District) and Department 4.98 (Eighth District). County staff noted that some lines moved from Department 4.35 into the court-systems fund this year — for example, $225,000 for legal (appointed counsel), $25,000 for transcripts, $25,000 for interpreters and $40,000 for juror expenses — and that the Hill Country Public Defender contract and DPS crime-lab charges historically paid from the court funds would also be reflected in the consolidated line.
Next steps: Commissioners discussed ranges and timing. Judge Cahoon suggested the judges would begin annual administrative meetings around Jan. 2 to review budgets and local rules. The commissioners directed staff to add a stipend line to Department 4.37 and indicated preliminary support for budgeting $12,000 in FY2026 while leaving a $0–$20,000 range for future adjustment.
The court’s staff said they would return with the formal contract language and a specific line item. Commissioners asked for an executive-session briefing on courthouse security and for follow-up details on the consolidated court lines and the proposed stipend before final adoption of the budget.
