Atascosa County approves SB22 grants for law offices, moves evidence budget and approves multiple personnel actions
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Summary
The commissioners accepted Senate Bill 22 grants for the sheriff ($350,000) and county attorney ($175,000), approved longevity raises for assistant district attorneys, transferred a $35,000 digital forensic line from the sheriff to the county attorney, and confirmed multiple hires and promotions across law enforcement and prosecutors’ offices.
Atascosa County Commissioners Court on Feb. 9 approved multiple personnel actions and accepted state salary-assistance grants intended to help rural law enforcement and prosecution offices maintain competitive pay.
Sheriff Guerra asked the court to accept a Senate Bill 22 award of $350,000 for the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office, laying out a budget breakdown that included capital outlay for vehicles ($58,000), equipment ($73,000.97), miscellaneous equipment ($11,310), retirement and social security line items, and a small processing fee. The court approved acceptance of the SB22 grant and the budget allocations.
The court also approved a separate Senate Bill 22 rural prosecution salary assistance grant for the county attorney’s office totaling $175,000. County Attorney Molly Solis said the grant helps "maintain competitive salaries for our attorneys and our investigator" and that the vote set budget amounts for the grant-funded salary lines.
Audrey Lewis, the district attorney, presented statutory longevity pay increases for several assistant district attorneys; the court approved monthly longevity payments (examples: $220/month for specified assistants, $300/month for another) and recorded start dates tied to anniversary and budget codes.
The court approved a transfer of $35,000 in a mobile forensic expense line from the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office to the County Attorney’s Office to place oversight and that budgeted expense under the county attorney, effective immediately. County Auditor Tracy Barrera and County Attorney Molly Solis explained the transfer as an administrative reallocation to centralize digital evidence lab oversight.
The court also confirmed multiple hires and promotions in sheriff’s office staffing (examples: Gianna Navarro as receptionist, Ronald Sanchez Jr. as bailiff, Diego Valdez and Nayeli Perez promoted to higher pay tiers) and approved juvenile department hires and promotions earlier in the meeting.
Motions for the grants, transfers and personnel actions were made and seconded by various commissioners and were recorded as carried in the meeting minutes; specific roll-call tallies were not read into the record beyond the court’s standard "That motion carries."