Sheriff presses court to preserve deputies, vehicles and software as commissioners weigh cuts

During a lengthy exchange about law-enforcement funding, Coryell County’s sheriff asked the commissioners to preserve personnel and equipment requested in his office’s proposed budget, saying the additions are needed for public safety and investigations.

The sheriff (Speaker 5) told the court the department had rescued children and made major arrests earlier that morning and said those outcomes illustrated the need for staff and equipment. “I need my 7 vehicles. I need my 2 deputies for the protection of our children,” he said, adding that the office could forgo some software purchases if necessary but could not accept cuts that left deputies short-handed.

Commissioners wrestled with how to use a state grant program known as SB 22: some argued the grant could legally pay for vehicles and equipment without hitting the local tax roll, while others warned that relying on one-time grant funding for recurring vehicle replacements or salaries could shift costs to taxpayers later. The court also debated whether to keep a records/records-integration software (eForce) in the sheriff’s budget; supporters said the system would tie dispatch, patrol and jail records together and reduce ongoing administrative work, while critics worried about the amount of the initial purchase.

Outcome and next steps: The court indicated support for keeping two new deputy positions in the budget (total cost about $94,008) and left the software and vehicle funding subject to further line-item calculations. Commissioners discussed moving certain equipment and taser purchases under SB 22, and they asked county staff to re-run budget scenarios showing the impact of those choices.

Quotations in this article are drawn from statements made on the record during the public meeting; attributions are to officials who spoke during the budget workshop.