Grimes County commissioners review sheriff's preliminary budget, agree to two sergeants, vehicle funding and begin jail planning

Grimes County Commissioners Court on July 29 reviewed a preliminary budget for the sheriff's office that would add two sergeant positions, fund replacement and outfitting of patrol vehicles, and begin setting aside money for jail repairs and a longer-term expansion.

The prospect of adding supervisory pay, new vehicles and further jail work comes as county leaders and sheriff's office staff told commissioners they are coping with rising call volumes, an aging vehicle fleet and frequent jail overtime. County officials said they will move two existing patrol positions into two sergeant slots and increase the county's machinery-and-equipment allocation so officers can be put on the road with fully outfitted vehicles.

County Judge (name not specified) told the court the preliminary budget includes two personnel changes the sheriff asked for and that the county has already absorbed a roughly $1,100-per-employee increase in insurance costs for FY2026: "the county has already made the decision and has absorbed the cost of about $1,100 per person increase in the cost of insurance," the judge said. The judge also noted the county had factored recent legislative fuel-tax changes into fuel budgets: commissioners were told a recent state law removed the 20¢-per-gallon state highway tax for county vehicles, lowering effective fuel costs compared with last year.

Why it matters: Commissioners said adding on-the-ground supervisory coverage and replacing aging vehicles is a safety and operational priority. Sheriff's staff described frequent overtime, high daily jail counts on weekends, and maintenance-intensive older units. The court directed staff to budget conservatively while separating dispatch and jail cost lines so overtime and other recurring costs can be tracked…