Palo Pinto district court to undergo improvements under in 2023-24, MW to get EMS help

Jul. 27—PALO PINTO — The 29th District Court in Palo Pinto is up for remodeling, discussions leading to the county's 2023-24 spending plan show.

County Judge Shane Long also said the budget will make a one-time $144,000 contribution to Mineral Wells Fire/EMS to help the burdened ambulance service.

"It's in the budget," Long said, predicting he and commissioners will have a final budget proposal "in the next weeks."

The county formerly budgeted $175,000 for Emergency Services District No. 1, which provides EMS service for most of the county except its southwest corner and Mineral Wells.

Ryan Dunn, chief of the city's fire/EMS, says his ambulances increasingly are answering calls outside the city.

That prompted Mayor Regan Johnson and City Manager Dean Sullivan to meet with Long about county help for the struggling city service.

Long said the county traditionally has contributed $175,000 to the emergency services district. But it now is operating its EMS, under a contract with Sacred Cross EMS, with sales tax collections.

"Their sales tax revenue seems to be sufficient to cover their contract," Long said. "At this point, it looks like we have one of our other services that is needing support."

Long also announced during the budget talks that the total countywide property value has been certified at $5.3 billion.

That's up from last year's $4.5 billion. The increase reflects increasing land values in the county, but much of it is from high-end new home construction happening in several parts of the county.

This year's tax rate is a slice under 30.6 cents per $100 property value, which would generate about $15 million in property tax revenue.

The rate would prompt a public hearing since it is higher than the so-called so-called No New Revenue rate of 29.6 cents.

It is about three cents below the rate that would trigger a public referendum.

Discussions Monday about renovating the 29th District Court described a courtroom where it's not easy to be a juror.

District Attorney Kriste Burnett said an old heating and air conditioning system drowns out witness testimony when it kicks in.

The system is shut down when jurors need to watch video evidence, she added.

Long said the new public address system Burnett recommended would let the judge and district clerk control the volume.

"And if the judge talks, every mic shuts down automatically," he added.

Light intrusion often blinds the jury's view of a video monitor, she said, recommending an upgrade many courtrooms now have.

The proposed model lets people to freeze the picture and draw circles around highlights they want the jurors to notice.

"It's like a weatherman does on the news," Long said, as Burnett agreed.

"It's what juries are seeing everywhere else and are expecting from us," she said, relaying a request from District Judge Mike Moore for commissioners to choose the best one they can so it will last longer.

The estimated total to renovate the 29th came in at $162,000, or $201,000 with the better video system.

The most dramatic change being discussed could be to knock out a false wall behind Moore's bench where there is an old jury room.

"It's nothing right now, but for storage," Burnett said of the old jury room, which has its own restrooms.

Jurors now deliberate in a room down the hall from the courtroom. That hall also is the gathering site for the families of defendants and crime victims — putting jurors in an awkward position walking to and from deliberations.

"People try to talk to the jurors," Long said.