DA nominee and judge urge commissioners to withdraw proposed Office of General Counsel, protect victim services

Two public commenters at the Sept. 14 Bexar County budget work session urged the court to protect existing legal and victim‑service arrangements.

Dana Chapa, who identified herself in the record as the Democratic nominee for Bexar County district attorney, told the court the proposed Office of General Counsel would improperly reassign statutory duties and could provoke costly litigation. "This attempt to change would disrupt county business, violate the law, and destroy this county's constitutional framework established in 1876," she said.

Judge Alicia Perez separately urged the court to preserve funding for domestic‑violence advocates, liaisons and warm‑handoff services, saying those line items are where "the real change takes place in communities" and asking the court to prioritize continued funding even amid hard budget choices.

Both speakers urged caution before structural legal changes or budget cuts that could affect service continuity; the court proceeded to discuss and later adopt the change memo after extended debate.