Comal County’s July 17, 2025 budget workshop put 2026 department requests at $162.5 million, including 26 requested full-time positions and $12 million in capital and non-capital equipment.
The requests reached core county services: jail staffing, flood control, roads, parks, courts, elections, technology and emergency management. That breadth made the workshop an early map of where departments saw pressure, from growing court caseloads to aging equipment and flood-control work.
The opening request figures still used 2025 salary numbers, which the minutes said would change. The $162.5 million figure therefore records the request stage presented to Commissioners Court, alongside comparisons involving the General Fund, Road and Bridge Fund and other funds.
Where Departments Sought More Staff
The personnel summary assigned 23 requested full-time positions to the General Fund, two to Road and Bridge and one to other funds. Individual presentations supplied the detail: the District Clerk requested two clerks; the Sheriff’s Office requested a radio communications officer and support-services sergeant; and the jail requested four additional corrections officers.
The Criminal District Attorney’s Office requested two paralegals and two intake clerks. Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 sought a clerk because of caseload growth, while the Tax Office requested an office assistant and personnel reclassification or regrading. The minutes also record discussion of adding assistant emergency-management and county-administrator positions in anticipation of retirements.
Flood Control, Parks and Roads Carried Large Requests
Parks requested $818,411 for property improvements. Flood Control listed $4.4 million for FRS Dam 4 and identified a grant request. Road and Bridge Maintenance listed $175,000 for road construction and $790,000 in direct capital replacements, along with a preventive-maintenance mechanic and message boards.
The Sheriff’s Office equipment requests included five cars, body armor and helmets, radio equipment and 100 cellphones in place of ticket writers. Information Technology requested one employee, server replacements, expanded data backup, storage equipment and cybersecurity improvements. Those entries show that the $12 million equipment category extended beyond vehicles to communications, computing, land and right-of-way needs.
What the Workshop Established
Commissioners Court received the department presentations and asked questions before County Judge Sherman Krause closed the workshop. The posted agenda described one item—the presentation of 2026 budget requests—and the approved minutes preserve the department-by-department summary.
County Clerk Bobbie Koepp approved the workshop’s summary minutes on Aug. 21, 2025. The next accountability comparison is which of the 26 requested positions and named projects entered the adopted budget, along with the final funding decision for FRS Dam 4. Readers can use the agenda to verify the workshop’s scope and the minutes to inspect each department’s request.