Constable Randy Parks requests full-time deputy and new vehicle amid rising civil workload

Constable Randy Earl Parks told the Rockwall County Commissioners Court on June 11 that Precinct 4’s civil-service workload has increased and requested funding for one full-time deputy constable, a vehicle and startup equipment.

Parks presented year‑to‑date service numbers and a projected increase in attempts to serve civil papers through the end of FY2025, saying the precinct performed several hundred service attempts in the first five months of the year and that evictions and writs of possession in particular have raised workload and staffing needs.

His budget request included a fully loaded cost estimate for a new deputy position and equipment. Parks told the court the starting salary step for a deputy is $72,090 (presented as “72.09” in the materials) and, after benefits, retirement and insurance, that position’s fully loaded cost would be about $99,697; with uniform, vest and other startup costs he estimated a total approaching $105,397. He also requested a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe or equivalent (Parks provided an estimate of about $86,004 for the vehicle and $15,289 for radio and in‑car camera equipment, totaling about $101,699).

Why it matters: Parks argued that a single constable cannot consistently handle growing civil caseloads, serve as bailiff for JP court, perform traffic enforcement when appropriate, and respond to countywide needs. The court’s decision affects how constable responsibilities are resourced across precincts and whether countywide solutions (a shared deputy or replacement of reserve/volunteer positions with a full-time employee) are appropriate.

Details from the presentation and court discussion

• Workload and methods: Parks described the steps and staff time required for eviction cases — multiple service attempts, substitute service affidavits, writs of possession and supervised move‑outs where contractors and locksmiths may be required — and said the precinct’s processes often require several visits or more manpower on move‑out days.

• Funding source and sharing: Parks proposed funding the deputy from Fund 51 (public safety sales tax fund) and said the new deputy could support all four precincts when needed; he asked that the court place the full loaded cost in Precinct 4’s budget but said he would coordinate shared use if the court organized it differently.

• Vehicles and capital lease items: Parks noted his current vehicle is a 2019 model with roughly 64,000 miles and said replacing it would allow that vehicle to be reassigned to a new deputy. He and court staff discussed capital lease costs and whether body‑camera and in‑car camera subscriptions should be captured in capital lease or operating lines.

• Salary comparables and survey data: County HR staff (Kimmy) provided comparable salary information based on the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office; county staff later said an internal elected‑officials salary survey (19 counties) produced an average comparable constable salary of about $90,004 for the sample counties. Parks argued that some deputies in other departments top out close to $99,000 and asked the court to consider pay relativity.

• Line‑item variability and countywide budgeting: Commissioners and county staff noted that several constable budget line items vary across precincts (uniforms, ammo, gas and maintenance) and said the county’s fleet and budgeting committees would look for consistent treatment across precincts. Multiple commissioners recommended coordinating vehicle purchases through the county fleet process rather than handling them purely at the precinct level.

Court questions and clarifications

Commissioners asked for clearer workload detail and for Parks to provide supplemental documentation that breaks down time demands by type of paper served (eviction, writ of possession, traffic citations, etc.). Court staff noted that some capital and FF&E needs might be covered by the sheriff’s remodel FF&E approval and suggested moving expenditures less than $500 through existing administrative approvals while larger items should be captured in the FY2026 budget.

Ending

Parks concluded by reiterating that civil workload is increasing and that a full‑time deputy would reduce backlog and improve service across precincts; commissioners asked staff to review the request, fleet recommendations and comparables before final budget decisions.

Direct quotes (selected)

• "This new deputy constable position will not only handle Precinct 4 business but also help with the other constable's precincts as needed." — Randy Earl Parks, Constable, Precinct 4.

• "The deputy full time deputy constable, the salary is $72.09 ... with the group insurance, retirement, workers comp ... it would go up to 99,697." — Randy Earl Parks (quoting HR calculations during presentation).

Speakers

- Randy Earl Parks — Constable, Precinct 4 (government). First referenced 36:50–36:80 (transcript block beginning at 2210.605). - Kimmy — County HR staff (government). First referenced 39:10–39:30 (HR salary and loading discussion). - Lisa — County staff (auditor/budget) (government). First referenced 41:40–41:58 (budget and capital lease questions). - Commissioner (unnamed) — Commissioner asking budget questions (government). First referenced across several exchange blocks; transcript does not consistently provide a full name.

Authorities

- statute — "Senate Bill 22" (referenced in discussion of prior raises) referenced_by: ["constable presentation and salary discussion"]

Actions

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Discussion_decision

{"discussion_points":["Rising civil-service workload (evictions/writs) in Precinct 4 and need for additional staff","Proposal to fund a full-time deputy from Fund 51 and share duties across precincts","Variability in line-item budgeting across constables (ammo, fuel, uniforms) and need for standardized approach","Fleet committee to coordinate vehicle replacement purchases"],"directions":["Constable Parks to provide supplemental documentation breaking down service types and time per service","County staff to review fleet committee recommendations, capital lease calculations for body cameras and in-car systems, and salary comparables before finalizing FY2026 budget"],"decisions":[]}