County cleans slate on Rita bills
By SHARON KERR

Jasper County commissioners voted Friday, Dec. 15, to pay all $1.3 million of the outstanding bills from Hurricane Rita, so that the new 2007 court and the county will start with a clean slate.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Mack Rose noted that although the county has not received the check from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) yet, there is sufficient funds in the treasury to pay the remaining Hurricane Rita open invoices.

“The money (from CDBG) is not going to be here before the end of the year, but I propose we have enough to pay our bills knowing the money is coming eventually,” Rose said. Precinct 2 Commissioner Rod

Barger agreed, “The time is here to step up and pay these vendors who have been patient.”

Precinct 1 Commissioner Charles Shofner asked County Auditor Dru Miller if paying the old debts would leave a sufficient balance for operating expenses in 2007 in a worst case scenario.

Miller said, “Our elected officials have done a really good job of managing their budgets, and with the contingency funds, we do have enough to carry us forward.”

Miller noted that the figures the court was considering did not take into account November revenues, which had not been posted yet, so the cash flow as reported “is extremely conservative.”

“I am comfortable with the numbers, “ Miller said, but added as a caution, “That doesn’t mean that the court that is coming in isn’t going to have to manage their money.”

Precinct 3 Commissioner Willie Stark questioned if all bills had been adequately documented.

Miller replied that various commissioners have worked with vendors to document the invoices and to get vendors to make concessions. Barger and Shofner said they spent days with some vendors going over bills item by item.

“North Star in particular made a significant reduction in their bill,” Miller stated.

Stark conceded, “this court incurred these bills, and this court ought to pay them.”

After much discussion, commissioners voted unanimously to pay $1.3 million to six vendors, most of whom had received partial payments earlier, except for Collin County, who had received no payment against their $58,996 bill.

County Judge-elect Mark Allen said, “It’s a big relief to have a clean slate, and good feeling to know our vendors are taken care of... (they) came forward during our time of need. It was a matter of integrity that we take care of them.

“I didn’t want to think we might have a need again and no one would come.”

The last time the current commissioners court is expected to meet is Thursday, Dec. 21, at 9 a.m.