Llano County law enforcement gets funding boost from state
The Llano County Sheriff’s Office and the County Attorney’s Office are due to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funding thanks to State Senate Bill 22, which offers grants to support law enforcement in rural counties. Funds from the bill, which was passed in October 2023, were made available in early March. The Llano County Commissioners Court approved the allocations during its regular meeting on Monday, March 25.
The Sheriff’s Office is getting $350,000, which will be used to purchase four new patrol vehicles for county investigators and to pump up the salaries of officers to more competitive levels.
The County Attorney’s Office is getting $175,000 to supplement the salaries of investigators, crime victim assistance coordinators, and the assistant county attorney. The Commissioners Court is also considering either combining a chief bailiff/investigator role or hiring a new investigator.
The funds are not permanent. They will be available until the next meeting of the Texas Legislature in 2025, at which point, the funding may or may not continue based on the new legislature seated in January.
This funding was only made available to counties with populations of 300,000 people or fewer. Llano County more than qualified for its funding with an estimated population of just over 22,000.
“This is a blessing for the county and our officers, and I hope that they continue to fund this in the future,” said Commissioner Jerry Don Moss before the court’s vote. “It sure helps us. We all know that pay is an issue and it always is.”
Commissioner Peter Jones asked Sheriff Bill Blackburn what his deputies and investigators thought of the incoming salary raises and new vehicles.
“The feedback was good on it,” Blackburn replied. “Anytime you get more money, it’s good. Especially when it doesn’t cost the county anything.”