Comal County hearings on proposed countywide tow rotation draw divided response from local providers

Comal County held a public workshop Aug. 14 to consider a draft order that would change the county’s sheriff-dispatch tow-rotation system from three geographic sectors to a single countywide rotation, a move county staff said is intended to improve response times and equity among providers.

County presenter (speaker 4) said the proposal aligns the local order with state regulation by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and the Texas Administrative Code (Title 16, Ch. 86). The draft would place all qualified wrecker companies on a single rotation list; to qualify a company must hold a TDLR wrecker license and own or operate a TDLR-licensed vehicle storage facility (VSF) within Comal County. Presenter (speaker 4) described response-time standards in the draft — 45 minutes for light-duty tows and 75 minutes for heavy-duty — and a discipline matrix allowing written reprimands, suspensions and possible removal for repeated violations. "The deputy has to stay at the scene until the vehicle's removed," the presenter said, noting long waits reduce deputy availability and create roadway safety risks.

The sheriff told the court he inherited contractual relationships with wrecker services from prior administrations and said the proposed changes are a collaborative effort intended to correct prior contractual practice, reduce deputy time spent waiting on scenes and speed roadway clearance. "We want to get these vehicles off the right of way and get our deputies back to what their other job is," the sheriff said.

Local tow operators split in their reaction. Dan McCarthy, who identified himself as an attorney and county resident, said weekly rotations help companies plan staffing and equipment and urged the county to ensure enforcement if a new system is adopted. "That weekly allocation allows them to allocate their resources," McCarthy said. Other long-established providers, including Travis Spady of Hill Country Customs and Garrison Mower, urged retaining the weekly sector system because it gives predictable on-duty weeks and protects investments in local yards.

By contrast, Wes Stuttard of Bluebonnet Motors and others supported a more equitable distribution that could open more opportunities for smaller or southern-zone providers. Joey Medlin of New Braunfels Towing told the court that opening the rotation countywide could disproportionately benefit new entrants and that travel times across the county may undermine response-time objectives. "What they want you all to know and understand is that the sheriff's office is proposing a change where it only benefits new companies," Medlin said.

Commissioners acknowledged the tension between protecting long-standing local providers and ensuring access for new vendors. One commissioner said the court may consider tightening the VSF requirement to ownership, not only operation, to reduce the risk of nonlocal, short-term operators. The court emphasized that this item was a workshop and no action would be taken at the meeting; staff and commissioners said they would continue discussions over the coming weeks.

The workshop included detailed operational Q&A about when multiple tow companies would be dispatched, how officers would assign responsibility for vehicles and debris at multi-vehicle incidents, and options for handling large or nonstandard removals through the county purchasing process.

Next steps: staff will continue to refine the draft order, consider feedback about VSF ownership and enforcement, and return to Commissioners Court for further discussion and possible formal action at a future meeting.