Potter County commissioners approved the public defender’s office budget and set the upcoming budget season schedule during their regular meeting Monday.
Jason Howell with the Panhandle Area Public Defender and Managed Assigned Counsel program said the budget required early approval ahead of the usual fall cycle due to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission’s May 8 meeting. The commission needs budgets from all six participating counties to evaluate grant funding, making timely submission essential.
The 2027 proposal increases Potter County’s share by about $30,000 and expands attorney pay ranges to allow more flexibility in rewarding performance. Howell said the office did not accept last year’s cost-of-living adjustment, instead favoring discretionary pay adjustments tied to workload and merit.
Commissioners John Coffee and Warren Coble Sr. questioned the increase, citing concerns about potential ripple effects on other departmental budgets. The item passed 3–2, with both voting against; Coffee clarified his vote targeted process concerns rather than opposition to the public defender funding itself. Coble also suggested a possible emergency meeting before the deadline, though commissioners first voted on whether that was necessary.
County Auditor Brandon Boston outlined a revised budget schedule beginning in May with department requests, followed by an August 12 budget hearing, an August 24 public hearing, and a September 14 vote on the county tax rate, a key step in finalizing fiscal planning.
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