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Zapata County officials say Chapter 59 forfeiture fund is nearly exhausted; ask sheriff for detailed spending report
Summary
County leaders told the Nov. 25 commissioners court the Chapter 59 forfeiture fund fell from about $162,700 in January to $3,131.72 in October and flagged a roughly $30,000 donation to a local club. The court asked the sheriff for a detailed expenditure report and discussed reimbursement and oversight steps.
County leaders told the Zapata County Commissioners Court on Nov. 25 that the county’s Chapter 59 forfeiture fund has been largely depleted and asked the sheriff’s office for a detailed accounting of expenditures.
The County Judge told the court the forfeiture fund balance slid from about $162,700 in January to $3,131.72 in October and said the court had learned of a roughly $30,000 donation from the fund to a local youth club. “The entire fund has been exhausted,” the judge said, noting the court had not received the statutorily required detailed expenditure report from the sheriff’s office for the current budget year.
The judge and several commissioners said chapter 59 funds are generally intended for law‑enforcement training, victim assistance or items directly tied to law enforcement activity. Because the donation and other recent expenditures reduced the fund substantially, the court voted to request a full, itemized expenditure report from the sheriff’s office so the county can confirm whether each disbursement complied with Chapter 59 requirements.
Commissioners also discussed how some forfeiture‑funded payments and stipends included in the sheriff’s submitted budget were disbursed during the year and questioned whether pro‑rated payments or reimbursements should be required when employees leave elected departments mid‑term.
The court’s request for the expenditure report was made during deliberation of agenda item 9 and carried as reflected in the meeting record. No formal penalties or recoveries were announced on Nov. 25; the court said it would review the sheriff’s report once received and determine any next steps.
What happens next: The court has asked the sheriff’s office to deliver the detailed expenditure report required by statute. The court said it will review the report at a future meeting and pursue reimbursements or other remedies if the expenditures are found not to comply with chapter 59 rules.
