LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 16, 2009

TO:	Honorable Todd Hunter, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB4709 by Flynn (Relating to the creation of a county court at law in Van Zandt County and to the composition of the Van Zandt County Juvenile Board.), As Introduced

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB4709, As Introduced: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2011.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2010	$0
2011	$0
2012	$0
2013	$0
2014	$0

All Funds, Five-Year Impact:

Fiscal Year	Probable Savings/(Cost) from Judicial Fund 573	Probable Revenue Gain from Judicial Fund 573
2010	$0	$0
2011	($75,000)	$75,000
2012	($75,000)	$75,000
2013	($75,000)	$75,000
2014	($75,000)	$75,000

Fiscal Analysis

The bill would amend the Government Code to create a new County Court at Law in Van Zandt County. The court would be created September 1, 2010.

 

The bill would also amend the Human Resource Code to add the County Court at Law judge to the juvenile board of Van Zandt County. The bill would take effect September 1, 2010.

Methodology

The annual recurring cost to the state would be $75,000 from Judicial Fund No. 573. Under current law, the state provides a county-court-at-law judge a salary supplement an amount equal to 60 percent of the state salary of a district judge ($75,000).

Also, the salary supplement program for county court at law judges is funded from fees and court costs collected by county courts at law statewide and deposited into the Judicial Fund No. 573. This estimate assumes that the County Court at Law in Van Zandt County would generate sufficient revenue to Judicial Fund No. 573 to cover the cost of the salary supplement.

 Local governments pay the other operating costs associated with a county court at law.

Local Government Impact

Van Zandt County currently does not have a County Court at Law.

Van Zandt County’s fiscal year begins October 1. The Van Zandt County Auditor's Office estimated $127,450 in start-up costs consisting of office space, furnishings, equipment and technology. Estimated salary and benefits of $262,442 and $162,796 in operational expenses totaling $426,739.

The County expects costs to increase annually by 3 percent. The estimated cost for fiscal 2011 is $439,496; fiscal 2012 is $452,636; fiscal 2013 is $466,170 and fiscal 2014 is $480,110. The creation of the County Court at Law would create the following positions: court reporter, bailiff, court clerk deputy, and a court coordinator.

The estimated revenues for fiscal 2011 are $105,063, fiscal 2012 of $107,689, fiscal 2013 of $110,381, and fiscal 2014 of $113,141.

Source Agencies:

212 Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council, 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts

LBB Staff:

JOB, MN, JP