GEORGETOWN — Williamson County commissioners Tuesday approved several sweeping measures for the Sheriff’s Office including a take-home vehicle policy that didn’t pass without some bickering.
Commissioners also cleared the way for grants to help Taylor and Granger with water issues.
During the June 30 Commissioners Court session, members on the dais joked the session should be renamed “Sheriff’s Office court” due to the number of items on the agenda for the law enforcement agency.
Commissioners approved funds for the maintenance of the sheriff’s drone program, the filling of a new position and the acceptance of grant money to purchase a new swift-water rescue boat.
The county lost its emergency boat last July assisting in the devastating July 5 floods.
However, commissioners reached a sticking point over the approval of deputies taking home county vehicles within a 25-mile radius.
In the end, the court ultimately approved the measure 3-2, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey and Precinct 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long dissenting.
Covey argued if deputies are allowed to leave work with their vehicles, then deputy constables, other first responders and more would want the same concession.
“Where does it stop?” Covey said. “It’s one more thing and one more thing.”
Sheriff Matt Lindemann noted many deputies and even local police officers are former military recruited from Bell County who live there and not in Williamson County.
Covey argued recruitment was not a current issue for Williamson County.
She noted the county’s rapid population growth could lead to more sworn personnel asking for additional take-home vehicles, increasing gas costs.
Long jumped into the fray, saying she would only approve a 15-mile radius and no more.
“Bring it back from 25 (miles) to 15…and I think you can get a 5-0 vote,” Long said.
County Judge Steven Snell and Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles pushed back against Covey and Long with Boles calling Covey’s scenarios “unlikely” and “impractical.”
“The goal is not a 5-0 vote, although that would be nice,” Snell said. “The goal is to take care of our sheriff and his officers and deputies.”
Boles said commissioners should let Lindemann do his job and not micromanage whether he’s asking for 15, 25 or 49 miles.
In East Williamson County business during the session, commissioners also approved a Community Block Development Grant draft for funding, with Taylor receiving the largest amount at $624,000 to repair a water pipeline on Gym Street.
Granger will also receive almost half a million dollars to repair its wastewater lines.
Sally Bardwell, the community development administrator, told commissioners county requests exceeded $4 million, but there was only $2 million to disperse.
Commissioners will not meet July 7.
The next session is 9:30 a.m. July 14 in their new courtroom in the Williamson County Administration building, 1848 Texas Trail.
Sessions can also be viewed online at wilcotx. gov/ 331/Commissioners-Court.
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“The goal is to take care of our sheriff and his officers and deputies.”
— County Judge Steven Snell
