Commissioners approve budget amendments after debate; appraisal‑district charge and jail overtime draw scrutiny

MILLS COUNTY, Texas — Mills County commissioners approved a package of budget amendments on Monday after debate over a late appraisal‑district expense and separate increases for jail overtime prompted questions from elected officials.

Commissioner Williams moved to approve all amendments except the line item for the Mills County Appraisal District; the motion received no second and failed. The court then approved the full set of budget amendments on a voice vote, recorded as four in favor and one opposed.

Why it matters: commissioners questioned how the appraisal district could return after the county had completed its fiscal year budgeting. Commissioner Williams and others said the appraisal district filed changes after the county’s budget was adopted last September, creating a need for a budget amendment to cover the additional expense.

Discussion and clarifications: County Treasurer Summer Campbell (referred to in the meeting as Miss Campbell) explained that the county had already approved the payment to the appraisal district and that the amendment would update the line item to show the payment had been made. She also said the county routinely adjusts budgets after the initial adoption to reflect later‑arriving figures, such as October health‑insurance rates that affect payroll.

Jail overtime: Commissioners also discussed a separate amendment to increase the jail overtime line. County staff said higher overtime payments were needed because multiple employees were out sick with COVID‑19 and the county must pay legally required overtime. The auditor or payroll staff indicated the county had the funds available and that the amendment simply increased the appropriation to cover expected payroll.

Outcome and next steps: the amendments were approved as presented. Commissioners asked staff to research the appraisal district timing and to bring additional information back to the court for a possible follow‑up; a second court meeting may be scheduled to finalize related items before the fiscal year closes.

Ending: no formal action was taken to change appraisal‑district law or to alter how the appraisal district calculates its budget; the court’s approval adjusted Mills County’s internal budget lines to account for the additional charges and overtime payments.