Court amends budget to pay for precinct constable vehicle upfitting after vendor delay

Waller County Commissioner’s Court on Wednesday approved payment to complete upfitting work for Precinct 3 constable vehicles and amended the funding source to cover a shortfall after procurement and scheduling delays.

The court first moved to approve $39,140 to pay an upfitter for equipment and installation. During discussion staff and elected officials explained that earlier procurement and vehicle-delivery scheduling had created a timing mismatch: vehicles ordered in the prior budget year arrived late and, when they finally arrived, were placed at the end of the upfitter’s queue, producing additional cost and a small funding shortfall. Court members said fleet savings held funds for upfitting but that the precinct’s fleet line did not fully cover the vendor invoice.

How the court addressed the shortfall Court members voted to amend the motion to move approximately $31,000 from the precinct’s fleet savings line and to use roughly $4,000 from contingency funds to satisfy the balance. The amended motion carried after a vote with court members raising their hands to indicate approval.

Why it matters: equipment readiness and procurement sequencing County procurement and fleet staff told the court the county had attempted to synchronize vehicle purchases and upfitting work but delays — both in vehicle delivery and in the upfitter’s scheduling — created the funding gap. Staff recommended using internal fleet savings for the majority of the invoice and contingency to cover the remaining shortfall so the vendors could be paid and the vehicles placed in service.

Actions recorded - Motion: "Approve payment of $39,140 for upfitting" (agenda item 39) and to amend funding to move $31,000 from the precinct’s fleet savings and $4,000 from contingency to cover the invoice. Mover/second: not specified. Outcome: approved (court announced "39 carries as amended").

Speakers (attributed in article) - Alan (County staff) — explained fleet funding and shortfall and said he would "work it up" with the judge to get payment posted quickly. - Precinct staff and procurement staff — discussed procurement sequencing and vendor scheduling.

Clarifying details - Invoice amount: $39,140 for upfitting (equipment/installation) for Precinct 3 constable vehicles. - Funding action: proposed transfer of $31,000 from the precinct’s fleet savings line and $4,000 from contingency to cover the total; court approved amended funding request. - Cause: vehicles purchased in prior budget year arrived late; when vehicles eventually arrived they were queued behind other jobs for the upfitter, increasing timing and invoice pressure.

Searchable tags:["constable","fleet","budget amendment","procurement","Waller County"]

Provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"s:2744.585","local_start":0,"local_end":200,"evidence_excerpt":"I have a motion and a second to approve payment of $39,140 for upfitting...We recommend contingency to get this thing done...I'll move to amend by line item using his equipment line item.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"s:3078.77","local_start":0,"local_end":180,"evidence_excerpt":"Hearing no further discussion, all in favor, raise your right hand. All opposed? 39 carries as amended.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]}