Flood-Impacted County Approves $32K Sheriff Raise Amid Court Dispute

Kerr County Approves Grant Program for Sheriff's Department Amid Tension

The Kerr County Commissioners Court recently approved a $283,000 grant program for the Kerr County Sheriff’s Department. The decision came after a brief but tense discussion between County Judge Rob Kelly and Sheriff Larry L. Leitha. The vote ended with a 4-1 approval, highlighting the divisions within the commission.

The grant package includes several key components aimed at improving law enforcement capabilities in the county. These include a $32,269 salary increase for Sheriff Leitha himself, funds for promotions, the creation of a new part-time deputy position, and the installation of mandatory in-car computers for patrol cars. Additionally, the funding will cover an extra police scanner for the county jail.

Leitha’s request comes on the heels of a devastating flood that struck the county on July 4. The natural disaster has left the area grappling with significant losses in property tax revenue. Despite these challenges, the sheriff has been in the national spotlight for his leadership during the flood response efforts. Members of the commissioners court acknowledged this while supporting the approval of the grant.

Officials emphasized that the funding would not place a burden on taxpayers or divert resources from recovery efforts. Instead, they stated that the money is sourced from a grant program known as SB22. According to the Texas Comptroller’s Office, this initiative provides financial assistance to sheriff’s departments, other county law enforcement agencies, and attorney’s offices to support rural areas.

Leitha operates a local out-of-county housing jail facility, which generates revenue for the Kerr County general fund. He also argued that he has significantly improved the county’s sheriff’s office during his tenure. Leitha claimed that under his leadership, the department is on track to secure over $10.7 million in grants and private donations for the out-of-county housing.

“I feel like I’ve done my job as sheriff to bring everything. We would not have several things we have today if I hadn’t been aggressive. It’s not just me, it’s my staff,” Leitha said when asked about using the grant money for raises for an elected official. He noted that such use is allowed under the grant terms.

A key condition of the SB22 grant program is that counties must use the funds within a specific timeframe. For Kerr County, this deadline was approaching, adding urgency to the approval process.

During the meeting, County Judge Kelly expressed his disagreement with the approval. He was the sole member of the five-person commission to vote against the proposal. Kelly pointed out that the commission had previously approved a 20% budget increase two years ago to recruit and retain deputies, using money from the general county fund. A year later, when the sheriff’s office received $500,000 from SB22, Kelly argued that the funds were intended to offset the cost of the previous budget increase.

“If the county is going to have to pick up the $500,000, that is definitely going to be Kerr County taxpayer dollars paying the raise that you said you would use your SB22 funds for,” Kelly stated.

Leitha disagreed, emphasizing that he was only requesting $283,000, not the full $500,000. He noted that the sheriff’s office had consistently been a prominent voice in the national spotlight over the past few weeks.

Kelly also pointed out that the revenue generated by the jail does not belong to the sheriff’s office, as the county covers the cost of the facility. In response, Leitha asked, “What if I didn’t house any prisoners Judge?” Kelly replied, “Well, I guess you can do whatever you wanna do.” Leitha responded, “Yes, sir.”

This exchange highlighted the ongoing tension between the sheriff and the county judge, reflecting broader disagreements over resource allocation and the use of public funds.