The Bell County Commissioners Court voted to close county offices on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in observance of a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter only if the governor issues a state proclamation closing state offices. The court adopted the contingency motion after debate and a 4-1 vote.

The question was raised after a presidential proclamation and following discussion about how the county handled a federal and state proclamation after the death of former President George H.W. Bush in 2018. Commissioners discussed the cost and operational impacts of an additional county holiday and whether to match any action by the state.

Why it matters: a county closure affects 1,200 county employees and daily services for residents. Commissioners cited precedent and the short timeframe between a proclamation and the observance when weighing whether to act independently.

Commissioners debated the budgetary and staffing effects. Commissioners referenced an estimate of roughly 9,600 employee hours (1,200 employees × 8 hours) for a single-day closure and said that, at an average hourly rate of $20.25, that translates to more than $200,000 in regular pay obligations; additional overtime costs were estimated at about $75,000. Commissioners noted part-time and on-call services would still require staffing and that some offices have closed early in recent days to catch up on work.

Commissioner Minor moved the original motion to approve closing county offices; the court later considered an amended motion to make any closure contingent on a state proclamation. Commissioner Whitson seconded the consent-motion and seconded the amendment at different points in the discussion as recorded in the meeting. The amended motion — to close county offices on Jan. 9 provided the state issues a proclamation closing state offices — passed 4-1. The county judge said he had contacted the governor’s office and would notify the public if and when a state proclamation is issued.

The court did not adopt a unilateral county closure in advance of a state decision. Several commissioners said they would follow the governor’s lead rather than close on county authority alone.