Bannock County clerk asks commissioners for 3% COLA, staff-grade increases and $135,000 courtroom remodel

The Clerk of the Court told Bannock County commissioners the court is requesting a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and step increases for court employees and that most other budget lines remain unchanged.

The clerk said the B budget remains small and includes travel for clerks to attend IICM and district trainings and a stipend for the court assistance officer’s cell phone. "We asked for 3% COLA and appropriate step increases for the employees under this budget," the Clerk of the Court said. Commissioners agreed the stipend should be budgeted and that the stipend amount will be $480.

The clerk warned commissioners that health insurance expenses are expected to rise — "probably go up maybe 15%" — and urged them to account for that increase when balancing the budget.

On personnel, the clerk said prosecutors recommended grade increases: law clerks are proposed to move from grade 15 to 16 (with budgeted flexibility to hire at grade 17 if a license is held), and staff-attorney positions are proposed to move from grade 16 to 17. The clerk described these as alignment requests following prosecutor recommendations.

The clerk asked commissioners to retain $20,000 in the professional-fees/conflict-attorney line. Citing a recent Supreme Court decision about payment obligations, the clerk said counties are not automatically obligated to pay but "if there is funds available the county could voluntarily do that," and pledged to consult commissioners before spending from that line.

On facilities and juror services, the clerk requested a $135,000 budget to remodel Courtroom 114 — described as a full gut-and-remodel that would retain the current footprint while updating audio, speakers and electronics. The clerk also recommended increasing jury selection and trial-jury mileage budgets by $10,000 based on projected increases in jury trials.

Staff flagged a possible state-level shortfall of roughly $30,000 for the jury-management system; the clerk said the state has not made a final decision about whether counties would be asked to cover that shortfall and offered to confirm timing and specifics so commissioners can budget appropriately.

Looking ahead, the clerk told commissioners that growth in Pocatello and Bannock County over the next five to seven years could trigger the need for an additional magistrate and possibly a new courtroom. The clerk said staff will provide annual workload projections to guide future requests for positions and facility changes. Administrative District Judge Javier Gabiola added that increased filings and more complex cases — including more self-represented litigants using AI tools — have increased workload for judges and court staff.

The clerk emphasized that several of these requests are recommendations to be considered during the county’s budget process; no formal appropriation or vote on the budget items is recorded in the provided transcript segments.

The clerk and staff provided to-do items for commissioners, including confirming whether the state will fund all travel and whether the jury-management $30,000 shortfall will revert to counties and, if so, in which fiscal year.