WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A homeless couple living in Williamson County returned a donation made by the sheriff late Monday after they were featured in his video to spotlight Austin's relaxed stance on dealing with those living on the streets.

While off duty recently, WilCo Sheriff Robert Chody spotted the homeless couple as he traveled in his personal vehicle near his North Austin home, according to the homeless man's account. The sheriff showcased is interaction with the homeless man, Tom Pettit, 52, via a spontaneously produced cell phone video he later posted on Twitter he turned into something of a foray into big-city politics down south. Seeking to de-criminalize homelessness, members of the Austin City Council recently relaxed rules on camping and resting on sidewalks — a move that has become a polarizing issue. Chody used the encounter to voice his own take on the matter. In his video, Chody suggested the Austin council's rules loosening is creating an encroachment of homeless people nearer to WilCo as evidenced by the two homeless people he had just encountered.

"A pitched tent in the neighborhood?" he asked in a video-attached Twitter post on Oct. 3. "Occupied by a homeless veteran. I stopped to just take a pic to send to the mayor. Tom here saw me with my camera & he was frustrated as was I. As we talked, we both became educated & agreed that @MayorAdler needs to fix this now," he added, tagging Gov. Greg Abbott. A pitched tent in the neighborhood? Occupied by a homeless veteran. I stopped to just take a pic to send to the mayor. Tom here saw me with my camera & he was frustrated as was I. As we talked, we both became educated & agreed that @MayorAdler needs to fix this now. @GregAbott_TX pic.twitter.com/au7bO6AJmK

— Williamson County Sheriff Chody (@SheriffChody) October 4, 2019 The first reference is to Mayor Steve Adler, the Austin mayor who has voiced approval of relaxing laws overseeing the homeless. The efforts were taken to stop already-taxed members on the society's margins from being continually assessed fines they likely will never be able to pay while offering reprieve from frequent contact with police seeking to remove them. Essentially, the new ordinances allow homeless people in Austin to sit or lie on public sidewalks so long as they do so without obstructing foot traffic. Camping in public parks and recreational areas still is prohibited.

Unlike Adler, the governor is vehemently opposed to the loosened rules — and hasn't been shy in voicing his disdain. "Feces & used needles are piling up & residents are endangered," he recently wrote in a social media post without providing evidence of such claims. He then threatened to use his gubernatorial power to upend the city's new ordinances by Nov. 1 if he didn't perceive changes. Today I sent a letter to @MayorAdler about the growing crisis arising from the Austin Homeless policy. Feces & used needles are piling up & residents are endangered. If not fixed by Nov.1, I'll use State authority to protect Texans' health & safety.#txlege pic.twitter.com/KmvEtMW81T

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 2, 2019 But let's return to Williamson County. After his exchange with Pettit, the sheriff — a multimillionaire by virtue of his wife's $51.2 million Texas Lottery win some 20 years ago —the two traveled in the sheriff's car for a short drive while his partner remained inside the tent, having not yet met Chody. After withdrawing money from an ATM, Chody handed Pettit $200.

In a telephone interview with Patch, Pettit said he immediately felt uneasy about taking the money but the grinding effects of homelessness made his accepting it something of a reflexive move. "When he handed me the money, I had the intuition he gave me $200 to leave his neighborhood," Pettit said. "I accepted the money because I do need help."

At that, Pettit asked his partner, Asher Arvizu, 30, to meet the sheriff. Arvizu, a transgender person currently transitioning from female to male, emerged from the couple's makeshift home Avery Ranch and Parmer Lane. "He had zero interest in what I had to say," Arvizu told Patch, claiming the sheriff avoided eye contact.