Marshall County Fiscal Court approves county clerk budget and annual salary order; clerk outlines precinct consolidation

Marshall County Fiscal Court approved the county clerk's proposed 2026 budget on Jan. 6 and separately adopted the clerk's annual order setting maximum salaries.

County Clerk Chrissy presented a proposed budget 'set at $13,821,000' and asked the court to set 'maximum deputy fringe and salary set at $1,000,000.' The court moved and approved the budget and later approved the annual order setting maximum pay levels.

In discussing the budget, Chrissy and commissioners said revenue activity improved compared with the prior year. Chrissy said, 'it's been better' and noted deed transfer tax receipts were a likely source of additional revenue. Commissioners referenced prior-year transaction counts 'around a 130' and 'a 100' in earlier years as context for recent improvements.

Chrissy also told the court the clerk's office consolidated precincts for upcoming elections to three vote centers — '1 for each commissioner district' — enabled by the county's vote-center system and print-on-demand ballots. She said consolidation reduces the number of distinct precinct ballots but requires maintaining backup ballots at vote centers. Chrissy said the county 'can still vote anywhere in the county' and that early voting remains unchanged.

The court approved the budget, the separate annual order for the clerk's office and moved on to other agenda items. The annual order and budget action were procedural approvals; the court did not amend numbers on the floor. The clerk said modernization work, including scanning and document storage planning, is complete and that capital improvements included in the request were limited.