Doubling the number of attorneys for the Montgomery County Mental Health Ad Litem Program next year was discussed at the Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday morning. The current contract with three attorneys is $60,000 but went over budget by $10,000 in the last fiscal year, officials said. County officials said civil cases—not counting criminal mental health care cases at the jail—increased by 45 percent in one year mostly because of new hospitals coming online with more beds and enhanced facilities that are able to take in more high-trauma cases, particularly suicidal patients. Officials said they originally anticipated 90 cases in the contract with the attorneys, but there were more than 200 extra cases on top of that. Officials anticipate asking for the court's approval of funding for three more attorneys when the contract can be restructured next spring. "Thank you for bringing it to our attention before it became a problem," said Commissioner James Noack. "This is the appropriate way to handle it." In other news Tuesday, commissioners: - Unanimously approved budget carry-overs from the last fiscal year to continue projects already allocated for, including $107,760 to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in unspent salary funds and operations for overtime. Previous to the vote the shelter did not have an overtime budget. - Deferred voting on flood insurance for county-owned properties that have previously flooded in order to take more time to discuss it before the decision has to be made next February. - Unanimously approved two grants to the National Rifle Association, the first being $7,405 for training equipment for the sheriff's office and the second being $3,220 for ammunition for constable precinct 1. - Unanimously approved updates to the engineering manual regarding property development requirements reflecting the increased frequency and intensity of recent storms.