BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS NEW MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE
City Council on Thursday, prior to its
vote formally appointing him as
Brenham Municipal Court's new
presiding judge.
The Brenham City Council on Thursday moved to appoint a new presiding judge for Brenham Municipal Court.
Jonas Lacina was selected to serve a two-year term ending on December 31, 2026. Lacina will fill the vacancy created after the departure of John Winkelmann, who is stepping down at the end of the month to begin his service as the newly elected 335th District Court Judge. Winkelmann has been the presiding judge since January 2020.
Lacina, speaking before the council’s vote, thanked the council for its consideration and said if given the chance, he will ensure that the municipal court “operates smoothly, efficiently and fairly.”
Lacina formerly served as the city prosecutor in 2015 and is an attorney at law for The Lacina Law Firm, PLLC. City Manager Carolyn Miller spoke positively on his previous work with municipal court staff.
As part of the motion to appoint Lacina as presiding judge, the council reappointed Robert Wright as associate judge for another two-year term, also ending on December 31, 2026. Wright has served in the role since September 2005.
The council then agreed to set the annual salaries for the two at $30,000 for Lacina and $27,000 for Wright.
Also at Thursday’s meeting, the council:
- Approved a master services and purchasing agreement between the city and Axon Enterprise, Inc. related to body-worn cameras and in-car fleet cameras for the Brenham Police Department. The agreement has a total cost of $738,610 over five years.
- Held work session discussion about the 11 propositions to be included in the city’s planned charter amendment election on May 3, 2025. Other work session items included updates on the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street exhibit opening in Brenham this weekend and the guidelines and criteria for granting tax phase-in in a city reinvestment zone.
- Approved an ordinance on its second reading amending the city’s 2023-24 adopted budget.
- Held executive session discussion concerning the roles and responsibilities of an assistant city manager. No action was scheduled to be taken.
Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.
