LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                                May 3, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Frank Madla, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Intergovernmental Relations
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  HB200  by Pitts (Relating to the creation of an
               additional county court at law in Ellis County and to the
               jurisdiction of the county courts at law in that
               county.), As Engrossed
  
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*  No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.                    *
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Local Government Impact
  
The bill would create an additional county court at law for Ellis County.
Further, the county courts at law of Ellis County would have concurrent
jurisdiction with the district court in civil cases.  The bill would
take effect on September 1, 2001. The court would be created on December
31, 2001 or on an earlier date, as determined by the commissioners court.
 
According to the County Auditor, current operating expenses of the
existing county court at law were used to estimate what operating
expenses of the new court would be. The total for the new court,
including ancillary services that must be increased, would be $452,136
per year. The cost includes salaries and benefits.

Ellis County is building a new court building, which would house both
courts. The cost of the building that would be attributable to the new
court, at $100 per square foot, would be $355,200, to be paid over 20
years. Additional capital costs for furniture and equipment would total
$89,500. This would be a one time expense. The County Judge provided data
for capital expenses.

The first year the court would be in operation, capital expenditures
would be approximately $107,260, and operating expenditures would be
$452,136, for a total of $559,396. In the following years, capital
expenditures would decrease to $17,760, and the operating expenditures
would be $452,136 per year, for a total of $469,896.

Similar fiscal implications would continue until the debt for the new
court building is paid in full.
  
  
Source Agencies:   304   Comptroller of Public Accounts
LBB Staff:         JK, DB, TB