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County attorney seeks step increases, notes lab costs and funds adult probation supervision from pretrial diversion fees
Summary
County Attorney Tamara Cochran May outlined the office's 2026 budget, requested step increases for staff, described rising juvenile and protective-order caseloads, noted certain testing and transcript costs that can strain miscellaneous services lines, and confirmed $50,000 from pretrial diversion funds supports adult probation supervision.
San Patricio County Attorney Tamara Cochran May presented the office's 2026 budget to Commissioners Court, asked for step increases for long-serving staff, and highlighted operational costs that can exceed current miscellaneous-service allocations.
Caseloads and duties
Cochran May told the court that misdemeanor and juvenile case volumes have risen and that protective-order and CPS work require recurring court attention. She described the county attorney's role in advising elected officials and department heads on civil matters and in handling juvenile and CPS cases on behalf of the Department of Children and Family Services.
Why it matters: The county attorney's office prosecutes misdemeanors and represents the state in juvenile and CPS matters; rising caseloads translate into higher personnel and service costs.
Key budget points
- Staffing: The county attorney asked for step increases for existing staff (one assistant attorney was cited for a step adjustment to align with years licensed) and included a request for a clerk 3 hire to begin Jan. 1 at a specified step.
- Pretrial diversion and probation: She confirmed a $50,000 line in the pretrial diversion budget pays the adult probation department for a supervision officer that handles pretrial diversion defendants.
- Miscellaneous legal costs: Cochran May warned that certain case costs can be large and sporadic'for example, private lab testing for suspected non-hemp cannabis that exceeds allowable hemp THC thresholds, and court-transcript copies or travel/reimbursed time for expert witnesses'and said these can quickly exhaust a $3,000 miscellaneous-services line.
County follow-up: Commissioners advised adding specific line items (for lab testing, transcript fees and other predictable miscellaneous costs) rather than relying on a single miscellaneous bucket. No formal budget vote occurred at the presentation.
Ending: Cochran May asked the court to approve staff step increases and said she would complete staff evaluations and follow up with formal requests as needed.
