Palmview commission approves budget amendment to raise municipal judge pay and add attorney stipend

The Palmview city commission approved an ordinance amendment to the fiscal-year 2025 municipal budget at a recent meeting, increasing compensation for municipal judges and creating a monthly stipend for the municipal attorney. The motion passed by voice vote with the presiding official announcing it carried unanimously.

The amendment, described aloud by a meeting speaker, would raise the presiding judge’s pay by $200 and provide a $200 increase for the alternate judge. The change also establishes a $300 monthly stipend for the attorney who has been serving in that role on a pro bono basis. “An increase of $200 for the presiding judge, an increase of $200 for the alternate judge, and a $300 monthly stipend for the attorney who's currently doing it as a pro bono,” said Speaker 2 while outlining the revisions.

Speaker 2 moved to approve the ordinance amendment and the motion was seconded. After a voice vote in which Speaker 2 vocalized “Aye,” the presiding official, listed in the transcript as Speaker 1, stated, “Motion carries unanimously.” The meeting record does not include an ordinance number or a roll-call tally; the decision was recorded as approval by voice vote.

Meeting remarks that followed noted there was no further action required on the executive submission at that time. The session concluded with closing comments and holiday well-wishes from the presiding official on behalf of the commission, the mayor, and city employees.

Details not specified in the meeting record include the ordinance number and any effective date for the pay changes; the transcript contains a garbled numeric phrase where an ordinance identifier might appear. The commission did not provide a line-item budget breakdown in the recorded discussion.