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Colorado County votes to apply for FY2026 TIDC formula grant to support indigent defense
Summary
The commissioners approved a resolution authorizing the county to apply for and accept FY2026 Texas Indigent Defense Commission formula grant funds; attachments in the packet outline eligibility, application due dates and allowable uses.
Colorado County Commissioners on Oct. 14 approved a resolution designating the County Judge as the authorized official and the County Auditor as the financial officer to apply for and accept funds under the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) FY2026 Formula Grant Program.
County Auditor Michelle Lowrance told the court she expected the county’s grant funding to be awarded by the end of the year. Judge Ty Prause moved to approve the resolution, Commissioner Darrell Gertson seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.
The TIDC Request for Applications attached to the minutes explains formula-grant eligibility (all Texas counties), baseline spending requirements, the formula calculation (a $15,000 base plus distribution by population and indigent defense expenditures), and administrative obligations including submitting countywide indigent defense plans and required reporting. Applications are due online by Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, and the grant period runs Oct. 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2026.
The packet cautions that counties must be current on statutory reporting (indigent defense expenditure reports, countywide plan submissions and Office of Court Administration reports) to receive and retain grant payments. The county’s resolution in the record designates the County Judge as the authorized official and the County Auditor as the fiscal officer for the grant application and acceptance process.
