The Presidio County Sheriff’s Office stands out as the only law enforcement agency in the region to provide a timely and legally compliant response to a Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) request regarding Operation Stonegarden and Operation Lone Star grant expenditures and applications. Sheriff Danny C. Dominguez responded within the mandated timeframe, delivering the requested records and clarifying the status of ongoing grant funding.
The request, submitted earlier this month, sought financial records related to these grants. Dominguez noted that January 20 was a county holiday, making January 30 the tenth business day since the request was received, ensuring compliance with state law.
According to the sheriff’s response, the currently active grant for Operation Stonegarden in Presidio County is for Fiscal Year 2023. Dominguez provided the grant application and a record of expenditures. The application for the Fiscal Year 2024 Operation Stonegarden grant has been submitted to the Office of the Governor but has not yet been approved. As a result, no expenditures have been recorded for that grant cycle.
Regarding Operation Lone Star, Dominguez stated that the county received an award for Fiscal Year 2023 from the Office of the Governor, but it was rolled into the Fiscal Year 2022 grant. No application was required for the Fiscal Year 2023 award, and he provided records of the two expenditures made with those funds. The Fiscal Year 2024 Operation Lone Star grant application and expenditure records were also included in the response.
Sheriff Dominguez emphasized that further financial details on grant activity should be obtained from the county’s financial offices, as the Sheriff’s Office does not manage financial records.
The decision to release the requested records was made in consultation with newly elected County Attorney Blair Park, who began her term in January 2025.
By contrast, other counties have not been as forthcoming. The Terrell County Sheriff’s Office responded in a manner that contravenes public information law, while Jeff Davis County has failed to respond at all. The Brewster County Sheriff’s Office, which initially attempted to deflect the request, has since been advised by County Attorney Marisol Skelton to release the records or comply with the law, though no documents have been provided as of this report.
Presidio County’s proactive compliance underscores a commitment to transparency, setting an example for other agencies in the region as public scrutiny of taxpayer-funded grants continues to grow.
