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Commissioners debate using public-safety sales tax (Fund 51) for fire marshal, sheriff remodel
Summary
The commissioners discussed moving a proposed fire marshal position into development services and using Fund 51 (public-safety sales tax) to help fund the sheriff's remodel and other public-safety projects; staff were asked to provide impact estimates and car rewrap costs.
Commissioners spent a substantial portion of the Aug. 14 special meeting discussing Fund 51, Rockwall County's public-safety sales-tax reserve, and possible uses for that fund in FY2026.
Commissioner discussion centered on whether a new Fire Marshal position should be paid from Fund 51 or from the general fund and whether Fund 51 could help offset costs for the sheriff's remodel. Commissioners and staff reviewed Fund 51's balance and a proposed transfer of $1,000,000 into the fund in the draft budget; that draft also showed a contingency of roughly $789,488.
Several commissioners said they prefer funding vehicles, equipment and one-time public-safety projects from Fund 51 while leaving recurring personnel costs in the general fund. Commissioner Stacy proposed moving an existing GIS coordinator position (vacant in the draft) to fund a Fire Marshal and to reduce emergency management vehicle funding to rewrap a vehicle for the Fire Marshal, producing a near-budget-neutral outcome.
Auditor and treasurer staff explained legal limits and common practices for Fund 51. The auditor noted that some items budgeted in Fund 51 were selected to provide usable appropriation authority rather than holding the dollars in fund balance; staff cautioned that transfers out of Fund 51 must comply with restrictions on eligible expenditures. The treasurer confirmed the fund balance and that the fund has supported interlocal payments to cities for fire calls in prior years.
Commissioners also discussed the annual allocation to municipal fire departments, which is calculated from prior-year call volumes and is distributed via interlocal agreement. Staff said they hope to present the updated fire-call allocation spreadsheet at the next court meeting.
Why it matters: Fund 51 is a sizable dedicated revenue source for public-safety and related uses. How the court chooses to allocate those dollars affects one-time capital projects (vehicles, remodels) as well as recurring costs (staffing, interlocal payments to fire departments).
What's next: Auditor and captain-level staff were asked to provide a revised spreadsheet showing the impact of moving a Fire Marshal to development services, the cost to rewrap a vehicle, and estimates for applying Fund 51 to sheriff remodel phase 2. Commissioners flagged the road-safety study ($200,000) and a potential TxDOT grant match as other Fund 51 candidates for discussion in the next draft budget.
