Wichita County Commissioners Court reviewed routine bills March 20 and discussed a listed ARPA charge tied to Motorola, battery reconditioning and steep repair costs for aging equipment.

When asked whether the ARPA charge to Motorola related to radio towers or radios, the presiding officer asked for clarification and was told it was for radios. A county staff member confirmed the battery brought in for inspection was reconditioned and that an invoice would follow.

Commissioners and staff expressed concern about high repair bills. “You can't afford to fix anything anymore. These repair deals are just — oh, they're killers,” a county staffer said, adding that some vendors request large prepayments before work begins. The court noted routine maintenance of older equipment can become prohibitively expensive and said the county needs to weigh repair versus replacement costs.

Other items touched on in the bills review included a small equipment purchase related to dirt-moving equipment and a larger jury list item. County staff confirmed accounts payable staff member Margaret Sutton had returned to her office and resumed sending invoices.

The court did not vote on bill payments at this meeting and moved on after the discussion.