Judge, sheriff pursue short‑deadline federal law‑enforcement grant rather than add deputies to draft budget

The County Judge told the court a short‑deadline federal grant opportunity aimed at law enforcement—referred to in the meeting as the 'Biden grama' and described by the judge as a 'Biden grant'—could provide staged funding for additional patrol capacity. He said the sheriff and his advisors discussed the grant with him and agreed to pursue the opportunity even though the application schedule did not align with this budget cycle.

“It was a short fuse grant application process... It's for law enforcement and it relates to, border enforcement,” the judge said. He added the grant process has multiple stages and, if successful, could allow the county to add deputies without placing new base hires into the current recommended budget.

Because of the grant timing, the judge said he has not included budgeted new positions for deputies in this draft. He emphasized the plan carries risk—if the grant is not awarded, the county would still need to identify how to fund additional patrols, which often means modifying tax rates or reallocating funds.