What happened: The Midland County Commissioners Court voted 3–2 on Feb. 3 to reinstate a deputy constable for the elected Precinct 4 Constable Jamie Hall, the daughter of Commissioner Charles Hall, outside the normal budget cycle, approving salary and equipment funding through contingency, a reserve typically used for unforeseen or emergency expenses.

Commissioners Dianne Anderson, Steven Villela, and Charles Hall voted in favor. County Judge Terry Johnson and Commissioner Jeff Sommers opposed the move. Villela switched his vote from eliminating the deputy position a few months ago to restoring it. The other four commissioners voted the same way they did in September.

This vote also came weeks after Villela, Anderson, and Hall voted to deny a mid-cycle request from the Sheriff’s Office, citing their adherence to the budget cycle.

Why it matters: Over the past several months, members of the court have repeatedly claimed the budget cycle as the controlling process for budgetary decisions. Multiple department heads said the court previously instructed them to wait until budget season before raising staffing requests. On Feb. 3, the court made an exception without defining a standard for when such exceptions apply.

The big picture: 

  • September 2025: eliminating the deputy — The court voted 3–2 to eliminate the Precinct 4 deputy constable position and convert it into a countywide warrant services role. Johnson, Villela, and Sommers supported the change. Anderson and Hall opposed it.

Villela supported eliminating the deputy position and transferring it to warrant services, arguing that a centralized role that answers directly to the court provides broader coverage and avoids favoring one precinct over another. Commissioners supporting the move warned that approving a deputy for one precinct would likely trigger similar requests from others.

The court removed the deputy position and reassigned the employee to serve all precincts through warrant services.

  • January 2026: denying the Sheriff mid-cycle — Sheriff David Criner presented the court with a mid-cycle request to implement step increases for Sheriff’s Office employees under a pay scale the court had already approved as part of the budget process. The request was denied on a 3–2 vote, with Anderson, Villela, and Hall voting no.

Anderson opposed the request, arguing that she believed there was an understanding that the structure would remain unchanged until the next budget cycle. Villela also said he opposed approving changes mid-budget. Hall did not state a reason for his vote.

  • February 2026: reinstating the deputy mid-cycle — A month later, Anderson, Villela, and Hall voted to reinstate the same Precinct 4 deputy position the court had previously eliminated outside the budget cycle and funded through contingency, a reserve typically used for unforeseen or emergency expenses.

What they’re saying: Before the vote on adding Constable Hall’s deputy, multiple county officials interjected. Sheriff Criner said the court repeatedly required his office to wait for the budget cycle before processing new requests.

Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 Ede Subia said removing the warrant services position would negatively affect her, as the position supports all precincts, and that the court previously told her not to raise staffing issues until budget time.

Warrant Services Chief Jorge Martinez said the court blindsided him by proposing to pull funding tied to a warrant services position without consulting him. The court created the position when it removed the constable deputy role last year, and Martinez said removing that funding would weaken a countywide function. Anderson proposed paying for the deputy position from contingency funds to move forward with the request.

Go deeper: During the discussion on Feb. 3, Anderson said the deputy position was necessary because Constable Hall was “in danger.” Constable Hall said situations often involve “non-compliant or barricaded occupants, reinforced structures, and forced entries into unknown environments.” The court did not discuss whether similar risks faced by the other three constables warranted the same consideration.

Villela cited prior off-cycle hires for the Sheriff’s Office as justification for his decision, saying the court approved four positions since adopting the budget. The court did not clarify whether those hires were paid for within the department’s current budget or required contingency funding.

Johnson questioned whether Commissioner Hall should vote on reinstating a deputy position held by his daughter, Constable Hall. The county attorney said the law allowed the vote because the constable is an independently elected official. Johnson said that even if legal, he believed the vote was ethically wrong.

The bottom line: Immediately after the vote, Constable Precinct 3 Jerry Cook requested approval to create a deputy constable position, the same scenario commissioners cited in September as a reason to avoid one-off staffing approvals.

The court’s record does not show a clear rule for when they waive adhering to the normal budget process for staffing decisions. When commissioners make exceptions without clear standards, decisions are based on what is politically convenient rather than on a defined process.

Editor’s note: Precinct 3 Commissioner Steven Villela submitted his perspective on the vote to The Permian Press.