Starr County court approves lease nonrenewal, election contract and multiple grants; budget amendments passed

Starr County Commissioners Court approved a series of contracts, grant applications, donations and budget actions during its Jan. 20 meeting and returned from an executive session to approve a salaries order and an accident-prevention plan for 2025.

The court voted to nonrenew the county’s lease with Avance and to not renew the agreement pending renegotiation. A court member said the existing contract “was really bad,” noting the county was responsible for maintenance while receiving no payment under the contract. A motion to nonrenew the lease was moved, seconded and carried.

The court approved a permanent application from Frontier Communication that staff described as likely the last submission from that company for the current round of coverage requests. The court also approved a contract with the City of La Grulla for election services for the May 3, 2025 election; county staff said the city requested an initial estimated cost of $10,000 to run the election, including ballots and results processing. Commissioners approved going out for bids for a Yukon vehicle for the county attorney’s office and approved a grant application from the county attorney’s office for an investigator position.

The court authorized a resolution to pursue grant number 4019806 (if awarded) with a grant period described as Oct. 1 of the award year through Sept. 30 of the following year and separately approved a grant application for ballistic-resistant body armor and a related grant (listed in the meeting as grant number 5351601) if awarded; the transcript records motions and approvals for those items. The court accepted a grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service; meeting discussion described a grant to acquire a new chassis and referenced an amount that was spoken as “a hundred and 30” in the record; the exact dollar amount was not specified in the transcript.

The court voted to approve an extension in time to participate in Reinvestment Zone Number 1 for the City of Roma (two related items were approved), approved a donation to the Salineno Fire Department, and approved budget amendments (items 21–28) and a budget correction (item 29). After an executive session pursuant to Section 551.074 of the Texas Government Code, the court returned to open session and approved the order of salaries discussed in executive session and approved the county’s accident prevention plan for 2025.

Most motions were moved, seconded and carried with the court voice vote recorded as “all in favor, please say aye,” followed by “Aye” and “Motion carries”; the transcript does not record individual roll-call tallies or show any recorded “no” votes for the listed items.

Votes at a glance

- Item 8: Motion to nonrenew lease between Avance and Starr County (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). Note: meeting discussion described the contract as placing maintenance obligations on the county while providing no rent or payments to the county.

- Item 9: Permanent application from Frontier Communication (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Item 10: Approve City of La Grulla contract for election services for May 3, 2025; county staff stated an initial cost estimate of $10,000 (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Item 11: Authorize bids for a Yukon vehicle for the county attorney’s office (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Item 12: Grant application from the county attorney’s office for an investigator (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Item 13: Authorize resolution for grant number 4019806 (if awarded, grant period Oct. 1 through Sept. 30); (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Item 14: Grant application for ballistic-resistant body armor (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Item 15: Grant number 5351601 (if awarded, grant period Sept. 1 through Aug. 30 of the following year); (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Item 16: Accept grant from Texas A&M Forest Service (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved). Transcript reference to amount: spoken as “a hundred and 30”; dollar amount not specified in the record.

- Item 17 & 18: Approve extension in time to participate in Reinvestment Zone No. 1 (City of Roma) (motions moved and seconded; outcomes: approved).

- Item 19: Donation to Salineno Fire Department (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Items 21–28: Budget amendments (motions moved and seconded; outcomes: approved).

- Item 29: Budget correction (motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved).

- Executive session (pursuant to Section 551.074, Texas Government Code): Court approved an order of salaries and approved the accident-prevention plan for 2025 after returning to open session (motions moved and seconded; outcomes: approved).

Actions recorded in the transcript did not include named roll-call tallies. Where the transcript did not identify a mover or seconder by name, the reporting above uses the meeting record’s procedural phrasing (motion moved and seconded) and records outcomes that the court announced.