Special Call Finance Audit & Budget Committee: FY26 Judicial Budget Requests – February 18, 2026

Commissioner Ted Terry chaired the meeting, joined by Commissioner Michelle Long Spears. Commissioner Shakira Johnson was excused. The committee reviewed FY26 budget requests from Superior Court, Juvenile Court, the Sheriff's Office, the Solicitor General, State Court, and Magistrate Court. No votes were taken; the requests will be considered at the final FAB meeting on February 25, 2026.

Superior Court

• Judge Shaundina Morris presented accomplishments funded in FY25, including the circuit name change to DeKalb Judicial Circuit, budget restoration for court reporters and interpreters, judicial security measures, parking deck renovations with license plate readers, upgraded security cameras, and jury management.
• In FY25, with 10 judges and approximately 770,000 residents, Superior Court closed 15,861 cases across all divisions, achieving a 104% clearance rate. The murder clearance rate was 133.5%.
• FY26 Request: $269,000 total:
  • $254,000 for IT computer software, services, and equipment (reallocation of funding).
  • $15,000 to restore senior judge compensation to $100,000 (from a recommended $85,000).
• Commissioner Long Spears supported the request, noting the need for technology to address court reporter shortages and for senior judges to process the backlog.

Juvenile Court

• Chief Judge (name not provided) thanked the committee for FY25 funding, including a judge's parking deck, completion of a sixth courtroom (99% finished, $1.6 million capital project), and $100,000 in treatment funds.
• Caseloads have doubled in five years; the court conducts over 10,000 hearings per year and is on track to exceed FY25 numbers.
• FY26 Request: $353,480 (discrepancy noted between requested items and total; detailed spreadsheet to be provided). Items:
  • Deputy court administrator ($125,000) for succession planning.
  • Building maintenance ($20,000) to address lag in facilities department response (e.g., HVAC issues, handrail repair).
  • In-grade salary adjustments ($81,000) for pay equity, particularly for intake and programming staff.
• Commissioner Long Spears questioned the need for separate maintenance funds, suggesting facilities should handle repairs. CO will review work order times.

Sheriff's Office

• Sheriff presented (name not given) requested restoration of the FY25 budget level of $106,531,628 (recommended $103,505,540).
• FY26 Additional Funding Considerations:
  • Camera system upgrade (phase 2): replace aging cameras in 107 pods with dual-head cameras for better coverage.
  • Carry forward for weapons already ordered.
  • New servers.
  • Office of Professional Standards vehicles (24-hour response, outdated cars).
  • 804 Transport contract increase due to insurance costs.
  • Gap funding ($282,625) for medical transport grant (ARPA) expiring mid-April.
  • 5% compensation adjustment for all employees. Sheriff highlighted disparities with police benefits (e.g., triple overtime, housing allowance, fully paid medical insurance, hiring bonuses).
• Commissioner Long Spears requested a comparison of police vs. sheriff benefits and a history of COLA increases. CO confirmed the request totals approximately $3 million.

Solicitor General

• Solicitor General (name not provided) thanked the committee for funding the Carpel case management system (FY25).
• FY25 Performance: 29,000+ cases in Division A, 46,882 victim services, 10,000+ victims served, 2,480 defendants in diversion programs (over $200,000 collected to general fund). 63,000+ cases in Division B (traffic). Quality of Life unit calendars doubled, with some days exceeding 400 cases.
• FY26 Requests:
  • 2 attorney one positions for Quality of Life unit.
  • 1 attorney for misdemeanor first appearance (to staff a new calendar).
  • 3 additional investigators (to handle body-worn camera footage, animal cases, etc.).
  • Reclassification of 5 investigators to investigator 3.
  • 2 paralegals (new positions).
  • Restoration of legal intern funding.
  • Cubicle replacement for trial assistants.
• Discussion on animal cruelty cases: Solicitor noted her office handles prosecution but not cost-of-care petitions (civil matter for county attorney). She supports the addition of investigators but emphasized that law enforcement should investigate animal cases. The county attorney noted a planned animal court coordinator position. Commissioner Terry suggested a joint FAB/ERPS session to address systemic inefficiencies.

State Court

• Chief Judge Jacobs (outgoing) noted the court is satisfied with the CEO's budget except for two items on hold: technology and vehicle requests.
• Technology: Requested restoration of funding (amount not specified) for essential IT operations. Last year's funding was partially unspent (~$100,000) due to procurement issues.
• Vehicles: Probation and Marshal's office rely on old pool vehicles. Oldest probation vehicle: 2008 with 188,000 miles (2008 model). Chief Davis requested 6 replacements for probation (8 were provided in FY25). Marshal Richardson requested 13 vehicles (to replace pool cars and get on a regular replacement schedule). Both departments noted safety and reliability concerns.
• Commissioner Long Spears noted that new vehicles would enter the replacement cycle, reducing future maintenance costs.

Magistrate Court

• Chief Judge Anderson presented. Key points:
  • Magistrate Court has 31 judges, operates out of three courthouses, and handles 1,000+ hearings per year.
  • Runs the oldest misdemeanor mental health diversion court in Georgia (25th year).
  • Pending Legislation: HB 792 would double the small claims jurisdictional limit from $15,000 to $30,000; SB 405 proposes $50,000. Anticipated to pass this year, significantly increasing caseload.
  • FY26 Technology Request: $226,755 total:
    • $76,000 for general technology (monitors, laptops, warrant application maintenance).
    • $150,000 for pretrial services software migration (current Tyler Technologies system sunsetting December 2026; migration takes 12-18 months).
  • Announced a self-help center (access to justice) pilot for eviction cases, funded by a grant from the National Center for State Courts. Initial focus on landlord-tenant cases where tenants lack representation. Commissioner Terry noted this aligns with housing affordability initiatives and the existing T-LAC 2.0 request for legal aid.

Key Outcomes

• No motions or votes were taken during the meeting.
• All departments were asked to provide detailed spreadsheets of their requests to the committee by Monday, February 22, 2026.
• The final special call FAB meeting on the FY26 budget will be held on February 25, 2026.
• The committee will consider the requests and any amendments (e.g., animal court coordinator, T-LAC 2.0) at that meeting.
• Commissioner Bolton praised the Solicitor General's clear presentation and suggested it as a model for other departments.