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Constable warns increased service workload and new state rules could raise costs for county
Summary
Constable Barnes told commissioners his office is up about 50 papers year-over-year and that legislative changes tied to the Uvalde response will require equipment and training (Halligan tools, ballistic shields, PIO training), potentially increasing costs and reducing fee revenue.
Constable Barnes reported to the commissioners court that his office is handling roughly 50 more service papers year-over-year and that constable fees recovered for the prior fiscal period totaled $39,460; he said the current fiscal-year receipts have increased to $47,590 so far.
"For this time through, 2425, the constable fees had totaled 39,460 dollars... For this current fiscal year, we are at 47,590, which is an $8,130 increase," he said. Barnes warned the court that new state requirements tied to recent school-shooting legislation (House Bill 33) impose additional training and equipment demands on small constable offices and could reduce revenue if service deadlines shrink: "Now they have switched it... We have 5 days from the date of filing... If we do not serve those papers within 5 days... the county is risking losing... money."
Barnes outlined specific resource impacts: more off-street time for court appearances, increased trips to serve long-distance papers, and an anticipated cost for mandatory equipment such as a Halligan tool and ballistic shield that could range from $1,500 to $3,000 per unit depending on specifications. He said those costs were not budgeted and suggested interagency agreements could be explored for PIO duties and other shared responsibilities.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about what constitutes a "paper," workload breakdowns and whether exceptions exist for holidays or emergencies; Barnes repeated that the new statute provides no exceptions. The court acknowledged the operational strain and the auditor and county staff signaled they would track the fiscal impact for budgeting and county risk assessments.
