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Constables press for dedicated deputies and fleet changes amid budget workshop
Summary
Rockwall County constables asked the commissioners for dedicated part‑time deputies, consistent vehicle allowances, and fleet committee guidance, citing officer safety and rising vehicle costs. Commissioners debated shared resources, clerk coverage and a county gas contingency.
Constables outlined patrol and administrative needs at a county budget workshop, pressing the court for dedicated staffing and clearer fleet planning.
Constable Randy Parks (Constable, Precinct 4) reviewed his line-item budget and warned that rising fuel and maintenance costs are straining small, recurring items such as gas and tires. He asked the court to consider how vehicle assignments and equipment purchases could be handled so precincts are not competing for limited funds. "With the gas going up like it is," Parks said, "I'd like to wait and see what... they're putting in for." Parks also outlined a request for a new vehicle or a switch to lower‑cost Durangos and proposed transferring his equipped Tahoe to a deputy if he received replacement equipment.
A longer, more combative exchange followed when Constable Fraser (Precinct 3) asked for a dedicated part‑time deputy and a part‑time clerk to handle a workload he described as "about 125 percent more work than the previous constable." Fraser said the request was driven by officer safety for eviction move‑outs and the high administrative burden: "A clerk would be very, very helpful. I mean, just in just in 5 months, I made 264 phone calls."
Commissioners voiced two recurring concerns: the fiscal cost of outfitting and operating additional vehicles and the operational tradeoffs of sharing personnel. One commissioner suggested a countywide gas inflation contingency to avoid many small unused balances across departmental budgets; another urged reliance on a fleet committee recommendation for vehicle purchases. "If officer safety is the number one thing, then why don't we look at getting you a part‑time deputy for Precinct 3 that can help you bailiff your court and can get in the car and ride with you for officer safety issues?" a commissioner said, reflecting the compromise under consideration.
Commissioners and staff agreed to seek updated, near‑term expense statements before future meetings and asked the fleet committee to provide a recommendation on vehicle rotation and expected replacement windows. No formal motions or votes were recorded during the workshop.
