Parker, Palo Pinto sheriff's departments among 12 North Texas agencies awarded state grants
May 14—Sheriff's departments in Parker and Palo Pinto counties are among a dozen North Central Texas agencies targeted for state grants aimed at bolstering resources in the region's more rural counties.
Senate Bill 2 established $9.8 million in grants for counties with populations under 300,000.
It was announced publicly last week that Parker County will receive $500,000 from the bill, while Palo Pinto County was slated for $350,000.
"It's a great plan," Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said, acknowledging his county of 166,000 is not exactly 'rural.' "But it's a really great plan, so we love it."
Authier said most of the funds awarded here will be sunk into his patrol vehicle fleet, as opposed to salaries.
"That (salaries) is a function of the commissioners court," he said, describing patrol vehicles costing around $85,000 apiece in a three- to four-year purchasing cycle. "So, we're in constant need."
Some of those vehicles are in use 24/7, which accelerates their aging as some log up to 150,000 miles a year.
"Metal fatigue starts to come in," Authier said. "And they get really expensive to keep on the road."
Palo Pinto County Sheriff Brett McGuire also plans to move his county's SB22 grant into non-salary uses. The bill, he said, allows the funds for some positions while equally deserving staff slots are barred.
"If I'm leaving out certain groups — I think that's going to be addressed (by the 2025 Legislature)," he said. "I'm not giving myself a raise, I'm not giving anybody a raise. ... We're looking at additional investigator positions, deputy positions, safety equipment."
That equipment could include so-called interoperable radios, which can communicate with police or sheriff's departments in other counties.
"We're reviewing the rules," McGuire said. "Our goal is to do the most good for the most part of the county."
McGuire's department late last year took over water patrols on Possum Kingdom Lake, using a boat the Brazos River Authority had when it asked the county to take that BRA role.
"We can do vehicles," McGuire said. "We're trying to see what falls under the definition of, 'vehicle,' (in the bill). A boat for the lake?"
The complete list of awarded agencies also included sheriff's, district and county attorney's offices in Ellis, Erath, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, Sommervell, and Wise counties.
Phedra Redifer, executive director of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, said his agency partnered with the state comptroller's office to host SB 22 grant workshops for county sheriffs and other officials eligible for the grants.
"Each of our eligible counties were awarded funding for both the sheriff's offices and prosecutor's offices grants in just 90 days," Redifer said. "As our region grows, ensuring professional law enforcement and legal representation of the people's interests will continue to be important for North Central Texas."
If the funds are used for pay, they must provide a minimum annual salary of $75,000 for a county sheriff, $45,000 for each patrol deputy and $40,000 for each jailer. Funds also can be used to hire additional deputies or staff for the sheriff 's office and purchase vehicles, firearms and safety equipment for the sheriff's office.
District and County Prosecutors awarded grant funds from SB 22 must use the grant money to increase the salary of an assistant attorney, an investigator or a victim assistance coordinator employed at the office, or to add office staff.
