Legal Civil Division

Department Responsibilities

The Legal Department - Civil Division will provide support in the following areas:

• Contracts and other legal documents: Prepare and review documents for County business, including contracts, agreements, resolutions, and real estate matters.
• Legal guidance: Provide legal opinions to elected officials and those who direct or manage County departments.
• Open Records Requests: Handle responses to requests for public information under the Texas Public Information Act.
• Disaster response support: Assist with emergency-management efforts at the direction of County leadership during a declared local disaster.

Why the County Is Creating This Department?

The Civil Division is being established to strengthen legal support for County departments, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent, professional service across County government. Its priorities include:

• Fair and consistent service. Address documented discrepancies in contract review times among Commissioners' offices and apply consistent standards to requests from every office and department.
• A process free from politics and partisanship. Ensure that legal requirements, professional judgment, and operational needs guide the handling of requests.
• Clear accountability. Establish a legal team accountable to Commissioners Court, with clear expectations for responsiveness, service, and performance.
• More efficient contract review. Work toward clearer submission requirements, standardized documents where appropriate, and more predictable turnaround times to reduce unnecessary delays and repeated work.
• Better communication. Establish clear points of contact and improve visibility into the status of pending requests so employees can plan and move County business forward.