San Patricio DA proposes using forfeiture funds for training, two vehicles and $5,000 donation to Children's Advocacy Center

San Patricio County District Attorney presented the office's 2026 budget and outlined a plan to use forfeiture funds to buy two vehicles, provide training for local law enforcement and donate $5,000 to the Children's Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend.

The DA told Commissioners Court that $202,500 of the office's salary line comes from House Bill 22 grant money and that the office expects to apply for that funding again. She said the county's caseload is rising: "we're getting about 2,000 cases a year" and that monthly indictments have risen to "150 to 200." She said the office met the 90% metric required to retain grant funds earlier this year.

Why it matters: The DA emphasized using seized (forfeiture) funds for prosecution-related purposes allowed by law. The proposed vehicle purchases and training would be paid from the forfeiture account rather than the county general fund; the requested donation to the Children's Advocacy Center is intended to help cover service shortfalls there.

Details from the presentation

- Forfeiture account balance: the DA said "we have 66,000 right now in there. No. About 67,000." She said she plans to buy two vehicles next year at about $25,000 each from that account.

- Training: The DA said she proposes using some forfeiture money to "provide some additional training for our local law enforcement," including a TCLO-certified trainer and courses such as intermediate arrest, search and seizure, courtroom demeanor and report writing.

- Donation: The DA said, "I want to donate $5,000 to the Children's Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend out of my forfeiture account money," noting the county coalition of 10 member counties is pooling forfeiture funds to help the center after it lost funding tied to population-based allocations.

- Staffing and other budget items: The DA said she is not requesting additional prosecutors because of space limits but requested modest increases for conferences, association dues and vehicle maintenance. She said one paralegal will receive a pay increase after certification and that she will buy two vehicles from forfeiture funds rather than the general fund.

What was not decided: The court did not take a formal vote on any of these requests during the presentation. The DA said she will return next year with documentation when transferring forfeiture money for donations, and that she will provide receipts and statistics from the Children's Advocacy Center at the time of the transfer to ensure compliance with statutory limits on the use of forfeiture funds.

Ending: The DA closed by thanking the court for prior mid-year staff funding that she said had helped the office manage increased caseloads.