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July 2, 2008

County passes on shot to increase fuel budgets — for now

Several county branches, including Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, are burning through gas funds

By Rich Flowers News Editor

The Henderson County Commissioners Court on Tuesday discussed a money shortage facing some departments because of rising fuel prices.

However, no action was taken to declare a budget emergency to add to departments’ fuel funds.

Some Henderson County departments spent more than half of their fuel during the first five months of 2008 and are facing gas prices that have increased more than 20 percent since March. The hardest hit is the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, which is about two months from exhausting its yearly fuel allotment, according to figures from the County Auditor’s Office.

Chapter 111 of the Local Government Code provides that after final approval of the budget, the Commissioners Court may spend county funds only in strict compliance with the budget, except in an emergency. Commissioners may authorize an emergency expenditure as an amendment to the original budget “only in a case of grave public necessity to meet an unusual and unforeseen condition that could not have been included in the original budget.”

“Many departments are growing short on fuel and I think it’s prudent for us to recognize the problem and take the steps necessary to make sure they can continue to provide the services the public expects of them,” County Judge David Holstein said.

Pct. 2 Commissioner Wade McKinney said some of the departments may not yet meet the threshold for an emergency amendment, but the sheriff’s department’s fuel situation is becoming critical. The sheriff’s department was budgeted $165,000 for 2008. The proposed budget amendment would take $92,000 from the county’s general fund to add to that total.

“I think we’re premature on all of them,” Pct. 4 Commissioner Jerry West said of the proposed departmental increases. “There’s not any in here that are hurting for fuel at this point enough for us to declare an emergency.”

West said departments should use funds in other areas of their budget in order to compensate for the lack of fuel money.

“The sheriff’s department was budgeted $165,000. They’ve spent about $107,000 in the first five months. They’re now burning about $25,000 per month,” McKinney said. “They’ve already spent about 80 percent of that budget and you’re going to have to add to that.”

Also, a motion by Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Hall to increase the budgets for road materials for each of the precincts failed for lack of a second. The proposed amendment would have moved unspent 2007 road material funds and Federal Emergency Management Agency funds into the 2008 road material budget line. The county received more than $300,000 to repair roads and infrastructure damaged by the severe rains of June and July of 2007.

The proposed change would have added $116,182.11 to the Pct. 1 balance, $47,048.72 for Pct. 3 and $48,893.67 for Pct. 4. Pct. 2 spent its allocated 2007 funds on various projects.

Hall said the leftover 2007 road materials funds should be moved into 2008 because heavy rains curtailed work in seven of the months. Pct. 3 Commissioner Ronny Lawrence said he is not opposed to moving the FEMA money but believes the leftover road materials money should be returned to the road and bridge fund balance as had been the case in previous years.

Commissioners also approved:

• interlocal agreements between Henderson County and the cities of Enchanted Oaks, Malakoff, Trinidad, Tool, Coffee City, Brownsboro ISD, Malakoff ISD and LaPoynor ISD for the electronic voting machines used in the May 10 elections;

• acceptance of a reimbursement of $19,183.16 from Seven Points for road materials in accordance with the interlocal agreement approved Jan. 3, 2008; and

• payment of bills in the amount of $352,212.55.

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