by V. Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute
Marion County Commissioners approved a budget amendment for $70,480 to fund the recent repairs to the Marion County Jail elevator their meeting last Friday.
The project involved the placement of piers underneath the structure as it was leaning towards the street and separating from the main building. The work involved removal of concrete sidewalks, roof repairs, sealing the elevator structure back to the main building and was completed in approximately two weeks from approval.
Commissioners also opened and awarded the 2021-22 bids for Road and Bridge supplies and fuel bids. The bids saw no major changes in the costs the county currently pays for most items and the bids were received by their current suppliers.
Based on the new rates of supplies does increase the cost of resurfacing/repairing county roads.
“It’s going to be $30,000 to redo one mile of existing oil road,” said Commissioner J.R. Ashley. “Plus another $20,000 in additional expenses like salaries, equipment, etc. It would cost us $17 million to redo all the County Roads!”
County Auditor Shanna Solomon presented the 2020 Marion County Annual Report financial statements to the Court, noting the County continued to be in good shape financially. Solomon noted that the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) which hosts the county’s website and email services will be upgrading the county to Microsoft 365 email services in the fall and that will cause a cost increase of $2,300-2,400 more per year. The web package the County uses will also be increasing in costs to $4,000-5,000 more per year. The changes are required by bills recently passed by the State Legislature.
“These are what we will now call State Sponsored Property Tax Rate Increases,” said Marion County Judge Leward LaFleur. “We used to call them Unfunded Mandates, but this is what they really are.”
Solomon also presented the Commissioners with the Texas Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Capital Credits for approval. She noted these funds are put in the airport as the County’s Capital Economic Development Project, so the County doesn’t see additional costs there. The funds are provided every other year.
Commissioner Ashley also moved to approve his precinct’s recycling of Solid Waste scrap items they’ve received over the last three years in the amount of $15,673. The funds will be used to pay for improvements at the precinct offices and employee costs during Earth Week.
Commissioners rejected the Marion Central Tax Appraisal District’s budget for 2022, citing an increase in employee salaries as the main reason. No one from the Appraiser’s office was in attendance at the meeting to answer questions. The City of Jefferson tabled their adoption of the proposed budget. Each taxing entity must specifically reject the proposed budget or it’s considered accepted. Entities have until June 12 to take action.
Marion County Sheriff David Capps received approval to apply to the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership program. The program has a 50% match requirement by the entity, and as a result, if they receive the grant, the Sheriff’s department will receive 11 new vests at a cost to the county of only $3,650.
Constable Jeff Greer requested approval to participate in the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services for the County so additional Federal surplus equipment could be given to county entities. LaFleur said Greer was primarily looking at night vision goggles and associated equipment, but would also be reviewing the full list for vehicles and other equipment which could be used by the County. The program is at minimal cost to the County.
The Marion County Tax Assessor’s Office requested the county accept five full bids received for property which had been struck off the tax rolls.
The properties are: Parcel 10153 Whispering Pines Blk 4, Lot 11, Received full bid from Sandra Glover of $350; Parcel 5692 McKinney & Williams Abstract 293, 1.23 acres, received full bid from Demarco Newsome for $3,434.67; Parcel 10628 Deer Cove Sect 2 Lots 49 & 50, received full bid from Matthew Scott Clark for $3,000; Parcel 8811 Oak Ridge Estate Block 4, Lot 17, received full bid from Dustin Bond for $1,000; and Parcel 9736 Shady Shores Hill Top Sec lot 110, received full bid from Dustin Bond for $300.
The meeting ended after Commissioners returned from a brief executive session to discuss Courthouse Security Plan. No action was taken after the executive session.