Commissioners accept two TIDC grants and decline one after matching-fund concerns

Atascosa County commissioners on Oct. 14 reviewed three grants awarded through the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC). The court accepted two grants and voted not to accept a third because the county had not budgeted the match required.

Grants reviewed:
- A continuation improvement grant for fiscal year 2025–26 up to $1,886,295 for the Atascosa County Regional Public Defender’s Office; the multi-county match was listed as up to $943,146. County staff said the continuation grant mirrors existing funding and the county’s share is limited to expenses actually incurred.
- A new improvement grant of $37,600 to support equipment and internship costs for the regional public defender’s office; staff said this grant is paid at 100% with no county match.
- A new improvement grant of $200,200 for a public defender mental-health unit; the award requires a county match of $50,050. Commissioners said the county had not budgeted that match and several members expressed concern that the grant application had moved forward without prior notification to the court. The court voted to decline acceptance of the $200,200 grant at this time.

Why it matters: The continuation and the $37,600 grant were accepted, which preserves funding for public defender services and expands support for internships and equipment. County leaders said the $200,200 grant may be reconsidered in the future, but they emphasized the need to budget for the required match before accepting it.

Discussion: County staff and grant administrators described the grants’ purposes and matching requirements. One commissioner said he was ‘‘disappointed’’ that the grant application had been submitted without consulting the court and that the county was not budgeted for the match. Another commissioner moved to not accept the $200,200 grant; the motion carried.

Ending: The court approved acceptance of the continuation grant and the $37,600 grant, and denied acceptance of the $200,200 mental-health-unit grant due to an unbudgeted county match.