Commissioners press staff on case-management data, kiosks and elections equipment after reports of backlogs and faults

Commissioners held an extended discussion about court case-management data, kiosks used for remote hearings, jail population pressures, and recent elections operations following staff briefings and a public report.

Commissioner Price criticized performance in County Criminal Court No. 1, citing an Odyssey-generated count of roughly 3,000 open cases in that court and calling for scrutiny of judgess bench activity. The court discussed kiosk use in the jail, where staff said kiosks account for the lions share of remote-hearing license costs and that a judicial-license reduction would save roughly $50,000 but not the majority of the expense because jail kiosks remain in place.

Staff described a Tyler/ODC data tool to assist with the annual HB2384 reporting requirement; several commissioners said the tool existed but communication about its availability lagged. IT staff said they would test the tool and coordinate with the courts to ensure access for the November 2026 reporting cycle.

Elections staff briefed commissioners on post-election review steps: payroll and procedure transitions (Oracle to ADP), an isolated equipment fault at a Glenn Heights location possibly tied to an outlet/power issue and machines left running, and preparations for a Mesquite runoff. Commissioners and the presiding judge discussed operational implications if either party selects paper-ballot primaries, noting separate-party paper-ballot primaries would require recruiting many more temporary workers and could increase costs and waiting times.

Why it matters: The exchanges raised operational and budgetary questions about how the county manages court dockets, remote-hearing infrastructure and election logistics. Commissioners directed IT and elections staff to coordinate, test tools, and return with implementation plans and cost estimates.

No ordinance or immediate policy change on kiosks or machine type was adopted during this session; staff committed to testing the reporting tool, refining cost analyses, and returning with proposals.