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Judge Lee asks court to fund coordinator role, increase pay for court reporters
Summary
Judge Lee told the Coryell County Commissioners Court that a single staffer can no longer cover court reporting and coordinator duties and asked the court to fund a dedicated coordinator and raise pay to attract licensed reporters.
Judge Lee, who presides over the county court at law and juvenile court, told the court the workload has grown and current staffing arrangements are unsustainable. He said the office has relied on one person to handle court reporting and coordinator tasks and that hiring licensed reporters in the local market requires competitive pay. "We can't do this anymore. This one person can't court report and get off the bench and come and answer all the emails," Judge Lee said.
Lee said he had identified at least one qualified applicant and proposed adding a coordinator position and raising compensation for reporters; he suggested "about 45 is a good start" for a coordinator salary and acknowledged market pressure that could push some positions toward $90,000 to $100,000. Commissioners asked staff to verify recruitment prospects and to consider internal cross-training to bridge short-term coverage needs.
The court agreed to review Lee's proposal in the packet and asked staff to return with verified salary comparables and any related budget impacts before taking final action. No vote was taken at the workshop; the item will be revisited as the court finalizes the FY26 budget.
