Count: Buying vehicles issues continue

Marion County Seal

Staff Reports

Marion County Commissioners chose to join the Region 16 Education Service Center’s TexBuy pool to help aid in acquiring vehicles as a statewide shortage continues, making it next to impossible to buy cars, trucks.

“We can join this additional pool, and have a better shot at finding vehicles for the county, or we can go through the bid process, which takes 30 days and hope a vehicle is still available,” said Marion County Judge Leward LaFleur.

The County has been trying to purchase a vehicle for the District Attorney’s Investigator since the beginning of the year but has been unable to find one. They located one via this TexPool that is in Arizona.

A comparable vehicle was found at Vanguard Ford in Avinger, but the bid process would be required to obtain it. Normal channels to purchase vehicles in Texas have a 6-8 month wait time.

Commissioners approved joining, and purchasing the truck using LATCF funds.

Commissioners also approved using Clean Cut Roofing of White Oak to replace the roof on the County Jail. They submitted a bid of $229,684, with a $40,000 contingency, for the project.

In other financial news, the County ended 2023 with an increase of $168,651 in year-end cash balances and right at $3 million in savings.

County Auditor Shanna Solomon reported that the new Special District Sales Tax brought in $434,000 for the county in 2023.

LaFleur noted that the County has $1.2 million in ARP funding they have to have allocated by the end of 2024. He said he wanted Commissioners to identify equipment  they needed, as well as be prepared to spend funds on the Kellyville Senior Center for needed repairs and updates.

The hallways in the Jail Annex building will be getting new flooring as Commissioners approved a $793.90 expenditure from the ARPA funds. LaFleur stated that this is in the annex, and not in the jail itself.

USACE will continue to allow the County access to six boat ramps and roads at Lake O’the Pines for the next five years as the contract was renewed. 

Commisisoners will begin accepting bids for road and bridge supplies and fuel for 2025 this month with all bids due by the end of May. 

Cypress River Airport will be getting some new fencing and gates as part of a grant. The gates and fencing will help with keeping wildlife out of the runway areas.