Commissioners defend Leon Street annex spending, approve $600,000 budget amendment to cover construction costs

The Coryell County Commissioners Court spent an extended portion of Thursday's meeting addressing cost increases and change orders for the Leon Street annex and the jail expansion, then approved a budget amendment to cover contractor invoices tied to those projects.

Judge Roger Miller and several commissioners reviewed the project's guaranteed maximum price (GMP), change orders and additional charges the court said were not fully accounted for in the year’s operating budget. Commissioners described a mix of client-directed adjustments, necessary site work and items rolled into non-construction cost lines such as architecture and furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Why it matters: the court said the county has the funds to finish the projects but needs to reallocate existing budget lines to pay invoices now due. Commissioners emphasized they had approved the overall construction contracts publicly and that many change orders had already been discussed in meetings or reflected as credits elsewhere in project accounting.

Court discussion and findings County officials provided a line-by-line explanation of the largest change orders and how they affected the GMP. Judge Miller said the jail expansion and Leon Street annex used a construction-manager‑at‑risk model with a guaranteed maximum price and that the public discussion had at times focused on the GMP rather than the total project cost, which includes land costs, testing, architecture and furniture. He noted a $321,005.77 change order for the sheriff’s camera system and other change orders that increased the GMP by roughly $311,948.49 (before credits and reimbursements discussed in court).

Officials also described an unexpected repair to an aging city sewer line that had to be replaced to allow the jail expansion to connect; the county contracted and paid $58,810.18 for that work and subsequently received a city commitment to reimburse the county in the current budget year.

Budget amendment and payment direction The court later returned from closed session and approved budget amendment No. 6 to move funds into the capital improvement fund to pay contractor bills. The amendment transferred $200,000 from the county’s grant support fund and $400,000 from the prisoner board fund to capital improvement. The court approved the amendment by voice vote after commissioners confirmed funding sources and the sheriff signaled agreement with the transfer.

Following the amendment, the court approved payment of presented bills totaling $2,134,047.20; payments will proceed consistent with county financial controls.

Next steps and oversight Commissioners said they will review internal procedures for future projects, including whether to engage additional financial oversight on large multi-phase construction work. The court also said it will publish change-order records and maintain public access to contractor invoices and related documentation.