DA Warns Maverick County Could Face Nearly 1 Million In New Costs When 293rd District Splits
District Attorney Roberto Serna told Maverick County commissioners the 2029 split of the 293rd Judicial District could bring nearly $1 million in new costs, according to other local news sources.
EAGLE PASS, Texas – Maverick County could face nearly $1 million in new costs starting in 2029, when the 293rd Judicial District is split and Maverick County gets its own district attorney, District Attorney Roberto Serna told the Maverick County Commissioners Court on Wednesday, Oct. 28, according to other local news sources.
Serna said the yearly budget for his office could rise to about $835,000, roughly $400,000 more than the county spends now, according to other local news sources. With other costs tied to the split, he estimated the county’s added obligations at about $1 million.
Short-staffed now
Serna also told commissioners his office needs about $225,118 to fill an investigator position and two secretarial positions, and that assistant district attorneys are doing administrative work because of the shortage, according to other local news sources. He projected a shortfall of about $33,167 for the 2026-2027 budget year that could force cuts such as training.
Serna also raised the question of whether the split still makes financial sense and said other affected counties have discussed revisiting it, according to other local news sources.
What changes in 2029
The 293rd Judicial District now covers Maverick, Dimmit and Zavala counties, and voters in all three elect one district attorney. Under House Bill 16, passed by the Texas Legislature in its second special session of 2025, that changes on Jan. 1, 2029, according to the Texas Government Code.
- Maverick County voters alone will elect the 293rd District Attorney, who will also handle cases in the 365th Judicial District in Maverick County.
- Dimmit and Zavala County voters will elect a separate district attorney for the 365th Judicial District.
- The Maverick County Commissioners Court may supplement the state salary of the 293rd district attorney and set that amount.
What was on the agenda
The court’s Oct. 28 agenda listed several items tied to the DA’s office, including current and future needs after redistricting, the office’s Human Smuggling Forfeiture budget, Chapter 59 forfeiture budget and general budget for 2026-2027, the financial status of the Border Prosecution Unit grant, and a request for the county to advance five pay periods of salary differentials for three Border Prosecution Unit employees. The outcome of those votes had not been published as of Friday morning.
The agenda also included a final vote on the county’s Senate Bill 3 outdoor warning siren plan.
Read our earlier coverage: Maverick County Commissioners Court Takes Up Final Flood Siren Plan And DA Funding Tonight
Sources: Maverick County Commissioners Court agenda, Oct. 28 | Texas Government Code Chapter 43, Sections 43.177 and 43.1812 | Other local news sources
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