The gist
Presented by Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich, the budget proposal requested two new deputy constables, the promotion of a temporary part-time clerk to a permanent position, and the modification of the Comal ISD contract to add an additional school resource officer.
Vojvodich said the new school resource officer’s salary would be 100% covered by the district. The constable also requested the use of unexpended salaries to purchase two BMW motorcycles and equipment as well as a transfer of a new pickup truck for a Chevrolet Tahoe that is already purchased by the county.
Current situation
According to the presentation, Bexar County’s third precinct is 300 square miles, contains 550,000 residents and has an estimated 1,200 apartment complexes. Vojvodich said 32% of deputies’ time is spent driving due to congestion.
He also noted that the precinct is dealing with 16,000 current misdemeanor warrants, with 50% of the warrants in fugitive status. Additionally, Senate Bills 38 and 1333 have set new requirements for squatter evictions, which has caused additional strain to the precinct’s resources. Currently, the department is estimated to take around 10.2 days to serve an eviction notice, but averages 30 days to serve a writ of possession.
Vojvodich said additional officers are needed to streamline this process.
“The additional officers [are] needed to comply with the attendant SB 38 and SB 1333, so that no overtime will be necessary,” Vojvodich said.
According to state documents, SB 38 adds protections to property right owners by streamlining the process to evict unauthorized occupants. The bill is designed to make the eviction process more timely. SB 38 also amends provisions regarding a writ of possession and would require a sheriff or constable to serve the writ within five days. If the writ was not served within the five day time frame, then the landlord could have the writ served by other law enforcement officers who have appropriate training.
SB 38 will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026, except for Section 16, which requires the Texas Supreme Court to adopt rules needed to clarify the eviction process.
According to state documents, SB 1333 amends the property code and authorizes an owner of a residential real estate property or the owner’s agent to request that a sheriff or constable immediately remove a person who unlawfully entered and is occupying a dwelling without the owner’s consent.
The person can be removed under the following conditions:
- The property was not open to the public when the person entered the property and is not the subject of pending litigation between the owner and the person.
- The owner or the owner’s agent has directed the person to leave the property, and the person has not done so.
- The person is not a current or former tenant of the owner under an oral or written lease or an immediate family member of the owner.
Quote of note
Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody praised Vojvodich and his staff, and reminded the court that innovative solutions would best serve the community.
"I hope everyone had a chance to look at the details that [Vojvodich provided] in terms of some of the challenges facing [his] office and how we can be innovative in how we operate and obviously continue to serve the community and get things done," Moody said.
