Travis County Commissioners want to squeeze as much out of a grant to fund a public defenders office for indigent defense.
With so-called revenue caps about to take effect new budgetary constraints are prompting the county to take a look at how to get the most bang for their buck. County executive Travis Gatlin: “The hope is that we could find a way, either through a five-year or four-year some way to stretch that so we could incrementally add resources this year.”
Gatlin says they’re trying to get a little more time and money out of a Texas Indignent Defense Commission grant. “Because once the grant ends, the County would be responsible for all those costs. So we’re trying to find a way to do that.”
That budget is under stress from new rollback rate enacted by the legislature. A five year, 16 million dollar grant from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission is how the county plans to pay for a new Public Defenders Office but Judge Sarah Eckhardt says they need another year and more money. “We do need to get it to a size that fits, and we’re almost there.” Eckhardt says negotiations with TIDC are still ongoing.
