The Polk County Commissioners Court approved acceptance of a Texas Indigent Defense Commission Public Defender’s Office grant award for fiscal year 2026 in the amount of $760,607 for the establishment of a public defender’s office during its regular meeting Tuesday. The Court also approved a job description for the chief public defender, pending approval from the indigent defense commission.
County Judge Sydney Murphy reviewed a breakdown of the costs associated with establishment of a public defender’s office as follows: personnel (six fulltime employees), $590,454; fringe benefits, $157,190; travel and training, $7,500; equipment, $93,165; supplies, $29,700; contract services, $65,750; and indirect costs of $7,000, for a total of $950,759, with the county’s 20% match being $190,152.
“Because we didn’t know if we would receive (the grant award), the funds were not included in the fiscal year 2026 budget. However, we have a healthy general fund balance and this is going to provide an enormous benefit, so the 20% match could be taken from the reserves,” County Judge Sydney Murphy said.
Following a drought status update, the Court approved extending the burn ban that was issued Oct. 2 for an additional 30 days in the unincorporated areas of the county.
A resolution authorizing payment of contractually obligated sums, contingent upon third-party verification of completed work, was discussed and approved.
The Court approved capital purchases to be paid from the general fund balance and included on the fiscal year 2026 reimbursement resolution for the year-end issuance of legally authorized debt for the following: a reach-in refrigerator for the Polk County Jail, not to exceed $5,554; network equipment for the IT department, to be purchased from Southern Computer Warehouse in the amount of $58,506.71; and an agreement with Tyler Technologies for project accounting and contracts management modules with annual software fee in the amount of $4,202, to be paid from IT contracts (budgeted funds) and one-time fees in the amount of $5,470 to be included on the reimbursement resolution.
An agreement with Montgomery Technology Solutions LLC for jail technology maintenance, with an annual fee of $35,460 to be paid from IT contracts (budgeted funds), was also approved.
The Court approved procuring a grant administrator and professional engineer for the 2024 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Local Communities Program and appointed a rating committee. Texas will receive $97,033,950 for eligible activities related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastructure or economic revitalization following the 2024 Texas severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding and Hurricane Beryl to be divided among areas that were impacted and Polk County is within that area. Polk County may submit up to two applications between $500,000 and $5 million.
A revised agreement with the City of Corrigan for animal control services provided by the sheriff’s office was approved.
A sheriff’s office request for an interlocal cooperation agreement with San Jacinto County for the housing of Polk County inmates was discussed and approved, with the funding coming from the general fund unbudgeted funds.
The Court ratified approval to advertise a request for proposals #2026-12 for jail resident banking software and commissary services, approved advertising Bid #2026-13 for the purchase of a motor grader with trade-in of one 12-hp VHP motor grader, to be paid from Precinct 4 Road and Bridge, and will approved the bid from Martin Chevrolet for the purchase of two new trucks by Precinct 2 Road and Bridge.
Changes to the county purchasing policy were discussed and approved.
The court approved the 2026 Polk County holiday schedule which includes 14 holidays, and approved rescheduling the Nov. 11 commissioners court meeting which falls on Veterans Day, a county holiday, to Nov. 12.
In personnel matters, the Court approved personnel action form requests submitted by department heads since the last meeting, reviewed one emergency hire in the grants and contracts office and approved and update to Personnel Management System Book 1.
A human resources advisory committee selected by random drawing was approved with County Court at Law Judge Tom Brown, County Tax Assessor-Collector Tatum White and Sheriff Byron Lyons being the names drawn. In other personnel matters, a request from County Clerk Schelana Hock for the payment of vacation time accrued by her chief deputy clerk was approved.
Fiscal year 2025 and fiscal year 2026 budget revisions and amendments, as presented by the county auditor’s office, were approved.
During informational reports, Chief Deputy Anthony Lowrie addressed the Court, providing statistics from the sheriff’s officer from Sept. 1 through Oct. 8 of this year. During that time, the department received 4,573 911 calls, responded to 5,175 calls for service, made 723 traffic stops, served 210 warrants, made 156 arrests, went on 161 animal calls, responded to 61 crashes and acted on 7 search warrants.
The Court presented a proclamation recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Items on the consent agenda included:
Pastor Sonny Hathaway of Central Baptist Church opened the meeting with prayer.
