North & East Texas
Angelina County will partner with Harold’s House (East Texas Alliance for Children) to establish a children’s waiting area at the courthouse – a safe and comfortable space for victims of sexual and physical abuse and neglect who previously had nowhere to wait when attending trials or hearings except wooden benches in the courthouse.
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Bell County received about $200,000 for its annual tobacco settlement to be used to cover about two percent of indigent health care expenses, according to the Temple Daily Telegram. The auditor’s office said Bell has received about $6.5 million from the fund since 1998. Commissioners Court also renewed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for law enforcement at Belton and Stillhouse Hollow lakes.
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Coryell County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Laerdal Medical Corp. for its $1.9 million expansion of 17,500 square feet of warehouse and office space and installation of manufacturing equipment.
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Dallas County Commissioners Court updated its financial disclosure policy by designating a central location for all elected officials and department heads to submit annual disclosure forms from the Texas Ethics Commission.
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Denton County Commissioners Court approved a $100,000 contract with Freese and Nichols to develop a thoroughfare plan – giving county officials the ability to reserve rights of way on county roads for expansion.
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Ellis County now provides live and archived video of the county’s open meetings. Judge Carol Bush told the Waxahachie Daily Light, “We are very pleased to provide the community with even greater access to the Commissioners Court proceedings.” Commissioners Court also approved the purchase of a mass notification system from Everbridge for emergency management.
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Fannin County Commissioners Court conveyed property to a church in Honey Grove, including a former armory, for use by its youth program and as a food pantry and food distribution center.
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Henderson County received the 2014 Platinum Leadership Circle Award from the state comptroller’s office for financial transparency.
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Hopkins County Commissioners Court selected Sedalco Construction of Fort Worth as construction manager for the new county jail. The Sulphur Springs News Telegram said the jail is scheduled to be completed in fall 2015 to house more than
190 inmates.
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Johnson County received a U.S. flag from Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, that flew over the Capitol in Washington, D.C., in honor of the centennial of the Johnson County Courthouse. Commissioners also authorized a $128,500 study by architect Kenny Burns of Austin on jail remodeling and expansion.
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Limestone County Commissioners Court voted to continue maintenance of flood control structures in northwest Limestone County. According to the Mexia News, the Natural Resources Conservation Service said some of the dams in Limestone have reached the end of their expected 50-year lifespan. Limestone also received a courthouse repair grant of $41,103 from the Texas Historical Commission.
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Rains County Commissioners Court selected Indigent Healthcare Solutions to provide software for the county at $900 per month for
FY 2014-15. The Emory Rains County Leader said IHS provides software for 110 Texas counties.
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Rusk County Commissioners Court voted to transfer jail medical records from paper to a digital database. Installation of the system will cost $34,000 with an additional $250 monthly fee, according to the Longview News Journal.
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Titus County Commissioners Court approved $186,478 in renovations at the Ratliff Building to house the elections administration office and the county tax office.
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Upshur County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Ore City-based Steel Country Threaders, which plans a new
$10.5 million pipe heat treatment facility with 140 jobs.
South Texas
Bexar County Commissioners Court approved economic incentives for Tacoma supplier Arvin Sango, Inc., which manufactures mufflers and plans to spend $16.6 million and create 46 jobs at a new facility at Toyota’s southside truck plant in San Antonio.
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Burnet County Commissioners Court voted to allow the sheriff’s office to accept a donation of 30 AR15 rifles from an anonymous donor. The Marble Falls Highlander said the donor is a local firearms manufacturer.
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Calhoun County Commissioners Court approved plans for a new library in Port O’Connor. Commissioners Court also accepted homeland security grants of $150,000 for 2012 and $252,132 for 2013 to pay for extra law enforcement.
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Cameron County Commissioner Ernie L. Hernandez, Jr., Precinct 2, resigned April 25, according to the Brownsville Herald.
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Colorado County held rededication ceremonies in May after restoration work at the courthouse with two grants from the Texas Historical Commission totaling $5.027 million.
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Fort Bend County Commissioners Court approved a $600,000 project for a pedestrian plaza to connect the courthouse with the William B. Travis Building in Richwood.
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Hays County received the Leadership Circle platinum award for the highest level of financial transparency from the state comptroller’s office. “We met all 22 of the requirements set by the comptroller’s office,” Auditor Bill Herzog told the Dripping Springs Century News. Commissioners Court also approved a $110,000 expansion of the health department.
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Karnes County Commissioners Court approved emergency funding to hire six full-time deputies to staff a new traffic unit for the sheriff’s office.
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Lavaca County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Heyco LNG, which plans to construct a $91 million liquid natural gas plant near the Enterprise plant northeast of Yoakum. It will create eight new jobs, according to the Moulton Eagle.
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Lee County received an emergency grant of $450,000 for courthouse preservation from the Texas Historical Commission.
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Matagorda County honored District Clerk Becky Denn, who is retiring after 40 years of service to the county.
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Orange County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for International Paper for a proposed $80 million expansion of the Temple Inland plant north of Orange on the Sabine River; the plant employs 300 people.
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Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe is retiring at the end of 2014 after 25 years – 16 years as County Judge, and nine years as County Commissioner.
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Uvalde County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for OCI Solar of San Antonio for a solar farm of 2,500 acres near Garner Field Airport. The Uvalde Leader-News said it would be the largest solar farm in the state.
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Webb County has a temporary County Commissioner for Precinct 1. Linda Ramirez, a high school teacher, was selected to replace Mike Montemayor, who accepted a temporary suspension, according to the Laredo Morning Times. Commissioners Court also adopted a new pay scale that will mean a salary increase for most county employees.
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Wilson County received an emergency grant of $450,000 from the Texas Historical Commission for repairs to the 130-year-old courthouse.
West Texas
Andrews County Commissioners Court accepted payment of more than $400,000 from Waste Control Specialists (WCS) for the first quarter of 2014. The county receives
5 percent of WCS’ gross receipts in four payments each year for community projects such as a splash park and a community building. Commissioners Court also approved construction of skeet and trap ranges for the 4-H Club for $77,451 by Excel Construction.
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Borden County accepted a donation of $5,000 from Wind Tex Energy for its helipad lighting project.
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Dawson County Commissioners Court assigned tax abatements for Mesquite Creek wind farm to Union Bank and designated a reinvestment zone southeast of Lamesa for Lamesa Solar, a solar energy farm.
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Eastland County is receiving $71,000 from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for trash removal, according to Eastland County Today.
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Ector County Commissioners Court awarded a contract of $33,741 to Hawkins Construction for a walking track and outdoor pavilion at Southside Senior Center.
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El Paso County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority to install a toll collection system at the new Tornillo-Guadalupe port of entry. The El Paso Times said the system, the first of its kind in the region, will cost the county
$1.7 million.
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Hardeman County conducted rededication ceremonies in May for its 106-year-old courthouse after restoration with $5.5 million in grants from the Texas Historical Commission. Among the speakers were County Judge Ronald Ingram, former County Judge Ken McNabb, Sen. Robert Duncan and Rep. Drew Springer.
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Hudspeth County Commissioners Court approved measures to tighten the requirements to qualify for the county’s indigent health care program.
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Kerr County has an interim commissioner for Precinct 4. Replacing Bruce Oehler, who died, is Bob Reeves, president of the Hill Country District Junior Livestock Show Association.
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Lynn County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Phase II of Stephens Ranch Wind Energy, which will construct a total of 205 wind turbines in Lynn and Borden counties.
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Parker County expects to save $1.053 million after Commissioners Court voted to refund the county’s series 2005 tax certificates – achieving total present-value savings of 7.284 percent of the $12,105,000. Judge Mark Riley said S&P Rating Co. also upgraded the county’s bond rating from AA- to AA.
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Pecos County Commissioners Court heard a report from McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis on outdoor lighting practices in the oil fields in seven counties in West Texas, their effects on the night sky, and control of light pollution.
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Presidio County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for SunPower and First Solar for proposed developments near Marfa.
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Schleicher County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of COPsync law enforcement computer equipment and software for six vehicles in the sheriff’s department for four annual payments of $12,295 each.
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Taylor County Commissioners Court approved an intergovernmental transfer of $600,000 to the Health and Human Services Commission to quality for additional federal funds to expand indigent health care.
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Tom Green County Commissioners Court voted to rename the justice center the Judge Michael D. Brown Justice Center in honor of Brown, who retired last December after serving as county judge from 1995 to 2013.
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Ward County Commissioners Court accepted a “check” for $650,544 representing volunteer hours of service by Monahans Area Retired School Personnel for such organizations as Meals on Wheels, 4-H, Friends of the Library, and Desert Sands Garden Club. H
– Compiled by Garner Roberts