County to pay for cruise

County officials say two court reporters will be saving Ector County money by taking to the high seas.

The two will board the Carnival Ecstasy for a mandatory training session while on a cruise to Mexico at taxpayer expense.

The cruise, aboard the Carnival Ecstasy, will take reporters from 358th District Judge Bill McCoy and County Court at Law Judge Jim Bobo’s courts on a four-night adventure from Galveston to Cozumel and back starting Thursday.

County Judge Susan Redford said the cruise would provide mandatory training and cost $991 per person for the entire trip, including airfare. Had they gone to a land-based training in The Woodlands in June, it would have cost over $1,200, she said.

"It was actually significantly more cost efficient," she said. "The cruise is actually sponsored by the court reporters association of the state of Texas."

According to the Texas Court Reporters Association website, rates for the cruise will be between $399 and $449. That doesn’t include registration for the training, which starts at $195, or the flight from Odessa to Houston.

According to the Carnival Ecstasy website, the ship features a spa, a casino, a variety of shopping and restaurant opportunities and a resort-style pool and waterpark.

Redford said the county always pays for court reporter training, which is only offered no closer to Odessa than The Woodlands, and can’t be taken online.

"They actually have to be live in the classroom," she said. "They’re mandated to have to attain so many hours every two years."

County commissioners initially refused the court reporters request for the cruise seminar at their Dec. 14 meeting, but rethought it when the reporters laid out their case, said Precinct 3 Commissioner Dale Childers.

"Technically, it doesn’t look great to go on a cruise at county expense, but they do have to have their training," he said. "But if you’re saving the taxpayers money and they’re doing their training, we’re OK with it."

And, even if training were in a place like San Antonio or Corpus Christi, court reporters would likely reserve some time for pleasure, said Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Simmons.

"As far as cost-wise, it’s about the same as any other trip," he said. "The appearance doesn’t look great, but that’s where the association decided to go."

Efforts to reach the court reporters, Cindy Nelson and Karen Freeman, were unsuccessful Tuesday.

A woman who answered the phone as Audra at the court reporters association’s Athens, Texas, office refused to give her last name or title. She said 50 court reporters from across the state had reserved a spot on the cruise, which was not exclusive to court reporters.

The woman said the court reporters association’s rooms were all booked.

"I don’t know what kind of article you’re writing," she said. "I don’t think you should put the TCRA’s name on it."