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Washington County bar, local attorney say judge’s action dissolving law library conflicts with ordinance; concern raised about $500,000 appropriation
Summary
An attorney representing the Washington County Bar told the Quorum Court that the county judge’s office acted contrary to the county ordinance governing the Washington County Law Library and that the library’s funds (about $420,000) may be affected; he urged caution before the court appropriates funds on tonight’s agenda.
During the citizen-comment period, attorney Tim Watson told the Quorum Court the Washington County Law Library is established by county ordinance and that recent actions by the county judge’s office to declare the board vacant and seat new members — and reportedly to dissolve the library — conflict with that ordinance.
Watson said he and the Washington County Bar received an email from Catherine Baker on March 24 stating the law-library board was vacant and that the county judge had seated board members, including himself, and acted to dissolve the library. Watson said the library held about $420,000 “that belonged to the law library by statute” and warned that a $500,000 appropriation on the court’s consent agenda could include money that belongs to the law library. He said the Washington County Bar intends to renominate five board members and expects the county judge to follow the ordinance; if the judge’s office does not, Watson said there will likely be judicial intervention.
County Judge responded in the meeting that Miss Baker would send background information on Watson’s claims and said there was “no more embarrassing way of an organization to spend money than what the law library has done over the past year,” and asked staff to provide information to the court. Watson asked the court to consider delaying appropriation of funds if they include law-library monies; the judge said he would direct staff to provide background material.
Why it matters: Watson’s remarks raise a potential legal dispute about the authority to appoint law-library board members and the status of library funds. The court discussed the appropriation of $500,000 for the EOC construction project during consent items; Justice Koger explicitly asked whether the $500,000 came from law-library funds and the judge said no. Watson said the matter could result in judicial intervention if the county’s ordinance is not followed.
Ending: The court accepted Watson’s comments for the record and the judge directed staff to provide background materials; Watson said the Washington County Bar will renominate five board members to the law-library board.
