Stephen Brint Carlton, Orange County Judge, has had a busy first six months in office.
Carlton has had to attend mandated classes as Local Government Code specified continuing education must be earned in a classroom. Therefore no online courses have been approved by the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas.
Judges are required to attain 30 hours for their first calendar year in office and 1.33 hours each month until the end of the reporting period of the fiscal year,  August 31; and 16 hours each fiscal year thereafter, between September 1 and August 31.
As such, Carlton has already attended the required New County Judge and Commissioner Seminar in January.
“That is for the administration role as County Judge,” Carlton said. “In February I attended a class for the judicial aspect of the position.”
While Carlton is the County Judge he is also fulfilling his duties as a Major with the United States Air Force Reserves.
“The training there is like free additional training for the county for times of disasters and disaster planning,” Carlton said.
Carlton said each of the classes he has taken to date were either required or highly recommended.
While some citizens have raised concern of the time Carlton is not in his office, his secretary said she has always been able to reach him while he attended classes or training.
“He has called or text during every break to check for any updates,” Holly Wheeler said. “I can send him an e-mail or a quick text if I have a question concerning anything.”
In addition to attending the classes and meeting for the ten committees he has since been appointed to, Carlton also attended Golden Triangle Days as a representative of Orange County.
“I paid for the gas and lodging myself,” Carlton said. “I felt it was important to attend.”
Each of the classes required by government code is reimbursed by Texas Association of Counties.
Carlton also requested nine budget workshops by the end of May as he began to tackle the county’s budget issue as well as held six regualr workshops as a result of the budget workshops.
All in between filling in for Judges, speaking at luncheons and performing the many duties of County Judge.

Classes attended:
New County Judge and Commissioner Seminar
Judicial Orientation for New County Judge
Probate Academy
Open Meeting Act and Freedom of Information Act (incorporated into previous seminars)
Joint Humanitarian Operations
Personal Recovery
Leadership Today and Tomorrow
NATO Medical Planners Course

Committees:
Member of the Texas Association of Counties Core Legislative Group
Orange County Juvenile Board
Gulf Coast Community Protections and Recovery District, Inc. Board,
Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission Board
Orange County Local Emergency Planning Committee
Baptist Orange Hospital Advisory Board
H.H. and Edna Houseman Charitable Trust
Orange County Economic Development Corporation Board
United Way of Orange County Board
Chief Elected Official of the Workforce Solutions of Southeast Texas

He is also a current member of the State Bar of Texas, the Orange County Bar Association, the Texas County Judges’ and Commissioners’ Association, and the South Texas County Judges’ and Commissioners’ Association.