The Hardin County Commissioners Court tabled action at their Nov. 8 meeting on using Road and Bridge Contingency to pay for fuel cost overages in Fiscal Year 2022 Budget due to unforeseen rising in fuel cost.
The agenda item was request by Pct. 2 Commissioner Chris Kirkendall and Pct. 3 Commissioner Young.
Kirkendall said there is a possibility of absorbing the overages on fuel and still need contingency. He said the county judge, commissioners plan to meet with Auditor Angela Gore before Thanksgiving.
“Fuel costs have more than doubled and we saw that in our budgets this year,” Kirkendall said. “Now we need to figure out a way to pay the most without contingency.”
Pct. 4 Commissioner Alvin Roberts said when the budgets are set, the county has to be flexible.
“We don’t know the future,” he said. “Our materials and supplies have doubled, along with fuel and oil.”
Roberts noted the budgets were set on last year’s prices.
Young said in June 2021 she was paying $2.51 a gallon for diesel and in June 2022 paying $4.84 per gallon.
“We will use the contingency as a last resort to cover any overages in the FY 2022 budget,” said County Judge Wayne McDaniel.
Pct. 1 Commissioner L.W. “Nubbin” Cooper Jr. presented a request to set a policy whereby all “proposed salary increases” will be submitted to the Salary Committee by the elected official or department head, and that committee will make wage recommendations to Commissioners Court.
“Our policy would still stand if the department head or elected official had an opening within their department. When they move someone in that department’s position, if it was already budgeted, who ever they move into that position might get a salary raise but they’re not coming to the court and asking for an increase in their budget,” Cooper clarified.
“The court will not increase an position’s budgeted amount during the budget process for the following fiscal year, and not during the middle of a budget year, from this date forward,” noted McDaniel.
The motion was unanimously approved.
Commissioners approved for Purchasing Agent Misty Sims to solicit proposals for Grant Application and Management Services relating to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) 2023/2024 Community Development Fund Competitive Application Cycle. and to solicit Qualification Statements for engineering services relating to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) 2023/2024 Community Development Fund Competitive Application Cycle.
A evaluation committee was named for both proposals.
In other action, the court approved the following:
• Accept grant funds from Walmart Community Grants Foundation in the amount of $2,000 for the annual Hardin County Courthouse Christmas Tree Lighting, to be held on Dec. 6.
• Approve request by Human Resource Director Melinda Herrington to appoint a Healthy County Committee to offer recommendations for the County Specific Incentive and present to Commissioners Court for consideration.
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