Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Operation Lone Star topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners ratify Operation Lone Star contracts after audit disputes; county staff say $610,000 reimbursed
Summary
Maverick County Commissioners unanimously approved renewal and ratification of multiple service contracts under an Operation Lone Star grant after a lengthy discussion about documentation, reimbursements and auditing procedures.
Maverick County Commissioners on Thursday ratified updated contracts for several service providers under the Operation Lone Star (OLS) grant and authorized the grant administrator and project director to sign off on the agreements.
The action followed a detailed presentation by a county attorney’s office representative, who described delays and payment problems that have hampered the OLS operation. “We got $610,000 back for the citizens of Maverick County,” the county attorney’s office representative said, describing assurances obtained from the governor’s office after earlier reimbursement deadlines had passed.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the contracts are necessary to keep OLS work moving and to avoid interrupting operations and vendor payments. County staff and the auditor’s office disagreed publicly about whether some invoices and reimbursement requests should proceed before additional documentation is assembled.
County attorney’s office representative described the contracts as a mix of renewals and recertifications intended to align contract dates with the grant fiscal period and to clear payment backlogs for vendors who have gone unpaid for months. He said the auditing office had raised issues about how some contracts referenced dates and documentation, but that the underlying agreements were valid and payments could continue once the paperwork was clarified.
Auditor staff warned that reimbursements from the state require precise documentation. “Everything has to be documented before I can… I’m not gonna take that risk,” Auditor Ms. Masuka said, adding the office must avoid requesting state reimbursement for expenses that could later be disallowed.
Commissioners acknowledged frustration with past administrative handling of grant reimbursement and promised a focused follow-up. They also instructed staff to schedule a workshop to review OLS accounting and cost-allocation with the auditors and relevant departments.
The court voted unanimously to ratify contracts listed under the OLS grant, including vendor agreements the county attorney identified as Access IT, Badell Funeral Home, LexisNexis, Toshiba, Nitor and others. Commissioners emphasized the county’s need to keep grant-funded operations moving and to ensure vendors are paid.
Ending: County officials said they will provide requested documentation to the auditor’s office within days and pursue follow-up meetings to resolve outstanding cost-allocation questions. The court recorded a unanimous voice vote approving the contract renewals and ratifications.
