County diversion coordinator cites 91% completion rate, seeks FY27 budget largely funded by dedicated court fees

The county's youth diversion coordinator presented the FY27 budget request to the Commissioners Court and highlighted program outcomes and funding assumptions.

"The program completed its first full year with a 91 percent success rate," the coordinator said, explaining that success is calculated as the share of eligible referrals who completed diversion agreements. The presenter said there were 110 eligible referrals in the prior calendar year and that current caseloads stand at about 30 open cases.

The coordinator reported an anticipated state grant award of $48,886.49 for FY27 and said the program expects about $14,500 in municipal contributions. Because most program revenue is dedicated Local Consolidated Court Cost (LCCC) collections and municipal shares, the presenter said the county’s general fund contribution would be small — an estimated $9,000–$13,000 funded from dedicated revenues rather than the general fund.

Commissioners asked about the stability of dedicated revenue and whether projected municipal contributions were finalized. The presenter clarified that municipal contributions listed in the worksheet were projections based on municipalities' budget submissions and are not yet guaranteed by municipal council action. The presenter also walked the court through reporting changes designed to better track JP court‑collected revenues and the mapping of those revenues to the five LCCC buckets, which include youth diversion by state statute.

Program details: intake interviews are 45–60 minutes, diversion periods typically run 90–180 days (extendable by judicial order to a maximum of one year), and offenses range beyond nicotine/tobacco to minor non‑traffic criminal offenses, trespass, minor alcohol possession, and vandalism. The coordinator said partnerships with juvenile probation, local mental health providers and community organizations underpin the program, and that work in earlier months to secure professional development and statewide networks helped secure the grant.

No vote was taken. Commissioners requested additional documentation on grant certainty, municipal commitments, and LCCC revenue trends before final FY27 budget decisions.