WASHINGTON CO. JURORS RECEIVING PAY RAISE PER NEW STATE LAW
Jurors in Washington County are receiving a bump in pay after the passage of a new state law.
Buddies join Washington County Commissioners
following their proclamation of October 26th as the
annual observance of Paint the Town Pink.
House Bill 3474, which became effective September 1st, raises juror pay from $6 to $20 for the day they are summoned, and from $40 to $58 for each day they serve on the jury. The pay raise is intended to improve turnout for jury summons.
Washington County Commissioners voted today (Tuesday) to clarify that the amounts stipulated are the minimum pay established by the state. Some counties are opting to round the amount they pay to $60 in order to more easily handle jury payments, although no specific indication was given for if Washington County plans to do the same.
month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness
Month. Pictured with commissioners is Hilda
Martinez (in front) of Focusing Families.
Jurors are paid via a line item in the county’s general fund budget. District Clerk Tammy Brauner said proceeds from jury fees from when court costs are collected are put into a jury fund that is used for sending out jury summons or any form of expenditures for the jurors.
According to the language from the new law, the state will reimburse counties $14 for each person who reports for jury service on the first day, and $52 per juror for the following days.
The law also raises the age exemption from 70 to 75, meaning potential jurors now have to be 75 or older in order to be exempt from jury duty.
Also during today’s meeting, the court read a pair of proclamations, one declaring the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Washington County and the other recognizing October 26th as the annual observance of Paint the Town Pink, in support of breast cancer awareness.
In other business, commissioners:
- Held executive session discussion regarding the Washington County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office.
- Approved extension of an interlocal agreement for managing entity by the Brazos Valley Council of Governments for the Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications System (BVWACS). They also approved the third reinstatement of the interlocal agreement for the construction, acquisition, implementation, operation and maintenance of BVWACS.
- Nominated Washington County Appraisal District board members for their election. The current members are John Schaer, Charles Gaskamp, Douglas Borchardt, Leslie Boehnemann Jr. and Joe Antkowiak.
- Approved the extension of time to use vacation hours for the Washington County Expo Director.
- Approved a resolution for the 2023 Washington County indigent defense grant program.
- Approved subdivision variance requests for land divisions fronting Copelyn Springs Road and Jackson League Circle in Precinct 1, as well as a subdivision variance amendment for a land division fronting Affleck Road in Precinct 3.
- Heard discussion of a formal notice for a water service installation by PGMS across the Rehburg right-of-way in Precinct 3.
- Received a presentation of the Office of Emergency Management’s quarterly report.