What you need to know
A policy was initially brought forward Jan. 28 following concerns regarding the transfer of inventory and property within an elected official’s jurisdiction. However, the policy was not approved due to concerns that current commissioners would not be able to perform their regular duties under the budget caps recommended.
“When we're trying to address one specific situation with a policy, we need to be careful, because you have a sphere of authority as elected officials, and you might be going out for different reasons,” Assistant County Attorney Amy Davidson said. “So, you just want to be very thoughtful with the policies that we place and really try to address the issue.”
Under the new policy, commissioners will only be required to obtain approval from Commissioners Court before moving, purchasing or selling more than $5,000 worth of county equipment.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler also said he would like to see an update on what items can be placed on the consent agenda, citing that former Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack had approved the extension of a Chapter 381 tax abatement agreement for five years in October.
In their words
- “I'm just concerned that we don't get in the same situation we just got with Commissioner Wheeler, where expenditure is being made and obligations to contracts that come into the next budget, and the money has never been set up or has been set up from the past,” Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said.
- “I could support it, as long as we come back with some sort of an agreement on what goes under consent and what goes in open court," Wheeler said regarding the placement of items on the consent agenda. "I think if we're going to ... sign a contract, renew a contract [or] extend a contract to put $60 million of worth of liability on our taxpayers, that needs to be in open court.”
