Rockwall County commissioners clear multiple budget adjustments, approve part-time deputy constable and fund sheriff remodel gap

Rockwall County Commissioners Court met Aug. 28 in a special budget session at the Historic Courthouse and approved a set of draft budget amendments, voted to fund a part‑time deputy constable program, and agreed to move additional fund balance toward finishing the sheriff’s office remodel while leaving several larger capital decisions for later.

The court approved multiple line‑item adjustments — including increases for CivicPlus consulting and CivicPlus ADA compliance work, software increases and maintenance agreement changes, and a solar surveillance grant adjustment — and voted 5‑0 to transfer additional fund balance into the sheriff’s remodel to reduce the remaining funding gap.

Auditor’s updates and why it matters

Melissa, an auditor’s office staff member who prepared updated sheets for the meeting, told the court she had adjusted the draft to reflect actions taken earlier in the week and that a number of maintenance‑agreement amounts remain pending final invoices. That updated accounting formed the basis for the votes that followed.

The court’s actions trimmed several planned expenditures, added specific software and consulting increments, and used available fund balance and reserves to reduce borrowing needs for the large sheriff’s remodel project. Commissioner Lorne Lichty framed that decision as finishing a project voters approved by bond: “we promised the voters a remodeled sheriff’s office,” he said, urging the court to fund completion.

What the court approved

- A consolidated motion by Commissioner Stacy (seconded by Commissioner Gallano) approved increases for CivicPlus consulting and training, an increase requested by the county treasurer for data software, and changes to several maintenance and software subscription lines (motion passed 5‑0). The court recorded the items together on the auditor’s revision sheet.

- The court approved the solar surveillance trailer grant adjustment, which county staff said is revenue‑neutral (revenue and expenditures both about $14,000) (motion by Commissioner Stacy; second by Commissioner Gallano; passed 5‑0).

- The court approved an increase in CivicPlus ADA software, branded in the packet as AudioEye, to address new statutory website accessibility requirements (motion by Commissioner Matlock; second by Commissioner Stacy; passed 5‑0).

- The court approved three transfers related to the county’s Tyler software project, collectively reducing a previously held contingency after staff audited the account (motion by Commissioner Stacy; second by Commissioner Gallano; passed 5‑0).

Part‑time deputy constable: vote and parameters

After extended discussion about the county’s reliance on volunteer reserve constables, the court voted 4‑1 to create a part‑time deputy constable position structured as up to 7 hours per week per precinct at $35 per hour (motion recorded by the clerk as passed 4‑1). The court instructed staff to include equipment and uniform costs in the revision; officials indicated those incidental costs would be funded out of Fund 51.

Sheriff remodel funding move

Commissioner Stacy proposed moving contingency funds in Fund 51 and applying additional fund balance so the sheriff’s remodel can be completed on the current schedule. The court approved a motion to shift available Fund 51 contingency toward the sheriff remodel and to fund the remaining approximately $1.1 million from general fund balance (motion passed 5‑0). Staff presented an updated project summary showing the remodel total and previously committed bond and ARPA amounts; the court discussed keeping a modest contingency in Fund 51 after the transfer.

Items discussed but not finalized

- Fire marshal position: Commissioners debated funding a new fire marshal line (staff highlighted $115,511 as the annual cost) and whether it should remain in the general fund or be moved to Fund 51. A motion to move funding into the general fund was made then withdrawn; the court left the position funded in Fund 51 and instructed staff to remove duplicative line items from the revision.

- Historic Courthouse doors and access control: Barry Compton, a facilities staff member, and commissioners discussed replacing exterior doors (estimates roughly $113,000 for aluminum doors and about $140,000 for wood) and adding limited access control. Compton cautioned that “changing the doors doesn’t solve access control,” noting door hardware and wiring constraints; he gave a conceptual cost of about $12,000 to add access control for the motorized handicap door and warned that full building card‑readers would require wiring or visible conduit and higher cost. The court asked auditors to include a $100,000 placeholder on the revision sheet to fund door/access‑control work while a fuller master plan and security recommendation is developed.

- District Attorney office expansion: District Attorney Kendra Culpepper told the court the space under consideration is functional but would require locking offices to meet criminal‑records (CJIS) security rules. Culpepper said the rough scope provided by the architect (Park Hill) produced a preliminary magnitude estimate near $962,500 for construction; the court discussed a $244,000 Park Hill planning fee but did not vote. Culpepper said, “The problem is … if I move clerks from our space … all they leave are cubicles,” and stressed that locked offices are necessary to maintain criminal‑justice records access and to interview witnesses.

Other operational items

- Christopher Lynch, Rockwall County Elections Administrator, used the public forum to report that his office recently terminated an agreement with Votec and asked the court to reexamine three personnel salary adjustments he had requested earlier in the budget (a total of $13,500 across three employees). Lynch said the Votec line originally appeared in his maintenance budget as $54,000 and had been removed after the termination.

- The court discussed Cloud Gavel, a paperless warrant system, with a first‑year price the presenter summarized at about $39,000 (including setup), and also heard a request to budget three communications officers for the sheriff’s dispatch center (roughly $236,955 total for three positions). Those requests remained on the revision sheet for further review.

Votes at a glance

- CivicPlus consulting/training & related software/maintenance revisions — approved, 5‑0 - Solar surveillance trailer grant revenue/adjustment — approved, 5‑0 - CivicPlus ADA (AudioEye) software increase — approved, 5‑0 - Tyler software transfers/contingency reductions — approved, 5‑0 - Part‑time deputy constable (up to 7 hrs/precinct at $35/hr) — approved, 4‑1 - Move Fund 51 contingency and $1.1M from fund balance to finish sheriff remodel — approved, 5‑0 - Fire marshal funding motion (to re‑allocate funding) — withdrawn; position remains in Fund 51 as currently budgeted - Motion to remove an unfunded administrative support headcount — failed for lack of second

Next steps and outlook

County staff agreed to produce a revised draft that incorporates the approved line‑item changes and the court’s direction on Fund 51 and the sheriff remodel. Commissioners asked staff to return with more precise quotes and options on courthouse access control, a phased approach for door replacement, firm numbers for the DA expansion scope, and final cost impacts for the part‑time constable proposal prior to final budget adoption. The court set a plan to meet again before the next filing so the second draft can reflect those updated numbers.

The meeting addressed targeted budget choices rather than comprehensive new tax or salary policy; commissioners emphasized finishing voter‑approved projects while keeping fund balance and contingencies within the county’s policy range.