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Commissioners approve part‑time death investigator after debate; 3–1 recorded vote
Summary
After discussion about caseload distribution and potential conflicts with the district attorney’s office, McLennan County Commissioners Court approved a part‑time, on‑call death investigator position as a pilot program and will revisit funding during the budget process; the motion passed 3–1.
The McLennan County Commissioners Court voted to create a part‑time, on‑call death investigator position to handle after‑hours inquests, adopting an accompanying order to establish the office.
County HR told the court the position would be paid $65 per hour and would be budgeted at $32,705 for the remainder of fiscal 2026 (an annualized budget of $65,409). HR said the position would be structured to limit on‑call time to a maximum of 12 hours and would pay only for hours worked, a design intended to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
"We've designed the position as an on‑call, part‑time role — paid for calls out and not for waiting time — and HR recommends a budget of $65,409 annually," HR Director Anna Picasso said. She added that Judge Hensley (JP Precinct 1) had helped estimate likely hours and that the position would primarily serve JP Precinct 1, with availability to assist other precincts when scheduling allowed.
Commissioners debated whether the county should instead rely on investigators from the district attorney’s office and raised operational questions about precinct reporting and workload concentration. "If it's a prosecution matter, that could be a conflict of interest," one commissioner said during the exchange. HR said it had not yet received confirmation from the DA’s office about a rotational investigator plan and recommended piloting the small‑scale approach.
Judge (the presiding officer) moved to approve the pilot position and monitor it closely; a commissioner seconded the motion. The court then took a roll call vote: Commissioner Smith — Aye; Commissioner Wilson — Nay; Judge Felton — Aye; Commissioner Perry — Aye. The motion carried 3–1.
The court instructed staff to monitor the position’s performance and return any recommended changes during the next budget cycle. The order establishing the office assigns supervision responsibilities to the justice of the peace identified in the proposal and leaves salary and compensation set by the court.
The court did not set a hiring timeline at the vote; HR said it had candidates who could start quickly but would follow standard hiring procedures. The court characterized the action as a pilot that could be modified or expanded after evaluation and budget review.
