Conroe is forming a committee to look at its court operations after newly seated Judge William Waggoner asked to expand the court’s schedule along with a pay raise to double his salary.
“What I have seen over the last year is we need to continue to expand,” Waggoner said during the council’s Aug. 23 workshop. “I believe we need to add additional dockets to hear these cases.”
Waggoner also requested his salary increase to $105,000 from $49,920.
Waggoner defeated Meloney Turner in the June 11, 2022 runoff election to fill the bench following former Municipal Judge Mike Davis’s retirement after 12 years.
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Data from City Attorney Michael Garner shows a decrease in citations and violations handled through the court through July, with 5,011 citations with 6,437 violations, down from 6,055 citations and 7,757 violations in 2022.
Councilwoman Marsha Porter balked at the raise request since Conroe’s municipal court is not a court of record and has fewer responsibilities along with Waggoner not being a licensed attorney.
“You are making more than any city council member up year,” Porter said.
According to the Texas Municipal League, a municipal court of record is required to provide a court reporter to create and preserve a record in cases tried before the court, while an ordinary municipal court typically does not create or preserve a record. The court has nine employees,
Mayor Pro Tem Curt Maddux questioned the high percentage raise as well.
“Did you shoot so high that maybe we would meet in the middle?” Maddux asked.
Waggoner said the salary increase is a big ask but said he was “open for discussion.”
“I believe this is something that has been neglected by previous councils and it should have been addressed,” Waggoner said. “Now we are having to play catch up.”
Porter said she could support a 4.5 percent raise, which the city has budgeted for staff in 2024. She said the additional dockets would be a burden for the current staff.
City Administrator Gary Scott said the committee is a good option to evaluate the court and its function and determine if more dockets and a raise for the judge was needed.
Scott suggested the committee include Davis and two council members along with several additional community members. The committee would bring back a recommendation at a later date.
