CJCC

The Washington County, Wisconsin Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) meeting was held November 11, 2026. The council approved the communications subcommittee’s updated website following a motion and second; no opposition or abstentions were reported. The meeting also scheduled behavioral-health recommendations for discussion at the December meeting. No contracts, bids, or vendor selections were considered.

The main spending-related discussion concerned the possibility of a fifth circuit court branch. A judge explained that the state’s judicial needs assessment places Washington County among eight counties to be prioritized for an additional judgeship, with a county-board resolution of support requested by the end of February 2027. If approved through the state process, the position could begin August 1, 2029. The state would historically fund the judge and court reporter salaries and benefits and provide a $65,000 annual stipend for other expenses; the county would need to complete the existing courtroom shell and address possible related costs, including security and agency impacts. The council made no recommendation or funding decision and plans to collect cost and operational estimates from affected county offices and compare experiences with other counties before further discussion.