About Civil Service Commission
The mission of the Travis County Sheriff's Office Civil Service Commission is to promote a quality Office by establishing and enforcing rules and regulations that pertain to employee selection, advancement, benefits, rights and working conditions consistent with the Office’s needs and circumstances.
Commission Members
Carlos Garcia
Commission Chairperson
2005 - 2010, 2017 to Present
Chairman Carlos Garcia is from Rio Grande City, Texas. He came to Austin in 1980 to attend The University of Texas at Austin. In 1989, he graduated from the University of Texas Law School. Chairman Garcia worked as felony prosecutor for Starr and Travis Counties in the early 1990’s before becoming a criminal defense attorney in 1995. Much of Chairman Garcia’s work has involved capital trial work and serious felony work. Chairman Garcia was appointed as Chair of the Civil Service by Sheriff Sally Hernandez in 2017. Chairman Garcia’s interests include participating as a course director/or presenter in continuing education programs for attorneys and as a religious education teacher at Santa Cruz Catholic Church. Chairman Garcia is married with four children and one grandchild.
Daniel R. Richards (Dan)
Commissioner
2020 to Present
Born in Dallas, Texas, Dan Richards moved to Austin as a child in 1969 and has lived here ever since. Dan and his wife Linda have been married for more than 25 years and have two grown children. Dan has been a practicing civil trial attorney since his graduation from the University of Texas Law School. He is a founding partner at the law firm of Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith LLP and has represented clients throughout the state of Texas in both State and Federal court. Dan represents individuals, companies and governmental entities in court as both plaintiffs and defendants.
Dan is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Austin Bar Association and the Texas Bar Foundation. Dan takes his work seriously and tries to use his time to make Austin and Central Texas a better place to live. Dan believes strongly in the responsibility of government to help those less fortunate.
Ciara S. Parks
Commissioner
2024 to Present
Ciara Parks was born in San Diego, California and she lived there through elementary school. She moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where she attended high school. Ciara then moved to Dayton, Ohio where she attended college and received her B.S. from the University of Dayton in 2004. Ciara earned her J.D. from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2009.
Ciara met her husband Cliffton in college. They have been married for 14 years and they have three beautiful children.
Ciara’s maternal family resides in Waco, Texas. After many years of residing in the Midwest, job opportunities brought Ciara and her family to Austin in 2016.
Ciara is the General Counsel for the Texas Board of Law Examiners. She worked previously as an Assistant District Attorney with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office for over 3 years and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office in Dayton, Ohio for over 10 years.
Ciara is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Director for the Austin Bar Association, Vice Chair of the Austin Black Lawyers Association Foundation, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Chair for the Council of Bar Admissions Administrators, member of the Travis County Women Lawyer’s Association and Associate Coordinator for Central Texas Youth Ministries. Ciara is a servant leader and takes leadership and diverse representation seriously.
TAX RATE: TRAVIS COUNTY ADOPTED A TAX RATE THAT WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR’S TAX RATE. THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY 3.5 PERCENT AND WILL RAISE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A $100,000 HOME BY APPROXIMATELY $9.12.
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