Morgan County Fiscal Court ratifies financial statements, transfers and multiple administrative actions

Morgan County Fiscal Court approved multiple financial and administrative items Thursday, including the reconciled financial statement, budget transfers, an interfund transfer to the jail, ratification of prior-period card charges and purchases of subscription services for grant research and HR resources.

Treasurer (unnamed) presented the reconciled financial statement for Jan. 31, 2025, and the court approved it by voice vote. The court then accepted budget transfers (Budget Transfers No. 7) totaling $24,800 for general and road fund needs — line-item transfers included $500 for judicial-center pest control, $600 for solid-waste telephone, $700 for park electric; in the road fund the court shifted $14,000 for salt, $5,000 for tires and tubes and $4,000 for uniforms — and approved the transfers by voice vote.

The court also approved Interfund Cash Transfer No. 7, a budgeted transfer of $76,310 from the general fund to the jail fund for operations. The court approved the transfer as presented.

Treasurer reported Budget Amendment No. 8 (first reading) that would add multiple revenue items into the fiscal 2025 budget, including real estate taxes, sheriff excess fees and FEMA reimbursement. The amendment as described would allocate an additional $43,009.51 to the sheriff’s excess-fees appropriation line and $5,545.60 in opioid-settlement funds to the opioid fund appropriation, with other revenues placed in reserve-for-transfers lines; the treasurer stated the amendment’s total would be $359,201.06. The court recorded that first reading; no second-reading vote was held (first-reading only).

The court ratified prior-period expenditures on WEX fuel cards and Elan Financial Services (Elan) card charges after reviewing attached monthly statements and fuel logs. The motion to ratify those prior period expenditures passed by voice vote.

The court approved use of the Elan credit card to purchase subscriptions to GrantWatch (about $199/year) and SHRM.org, with the motion presented as approval to use the card for the purchases and carried by vote.

Officials confirmed the clerk had received letters documenting that five jail staff had completed the required 40 hours of annual training for 2025 and were therefore eligible for incentive pay. The court approved incentive-pay motions in two groups: first for jailer Jimmy Darrell Easterling, Master Tommy Fannin and Master Donnie Keaton; and second for Master Eric Pelfrey and Master Leroy Phipps. Both motions passed by voice vote; one abstention was recorded on the second incentive-pay motion.

The court approved the consumer-price-index adjustment of 2.9% for magistrates and clerks, effective Jan. 1, 2025. That motion passed by voice vote.

The court also handled vendor claims and paid vendor claims. The court ratified previously paid vendor claims and approved two sets of unpaid vendor claims (A and B) for payment; both motions carried. During these votes one abstention was recorded on one batch of unpaid claims.

Separately, the court discussed adding Connelly Branch (also referred to as County Branch/Tommy Branch in the record) into the county road system. The court debated whether signage and gate removal had been completed and whether the road had been properly advertised; members ultimately voted to consider taking the road into the county system upon advertising and required measurements, and instructed staff to advertise for two weeks and perform right-of-way measurements. That motion carried.

No large contract awards or bond issuances were recorded in the transcript. The court’s financial approvals were recorded as voice votes with motions properly seconded; where roll-call tallies were not provided the minutes record the motions as carried.

Votes at a glance: - Approve minutes of previous and special meetings — approved (voice vote). - Reconciled financial statement (01/31/2025) — approved (voice vote). - Budget Transfers No. 7 (total $24,800) — approved (voice vote). Key road fund transfers: salt $14,000; tires/tubes $5,000; uniforms $4,000. - Interfund Cash Transfer No. 7 (general fund to jail fund) — $76,310 — approved (voice vote). - Budget Amendment No. 8 — First reading only; total described $359,201.06 (includes sheriff excess fees $43,009.51; opioid funds $5,545.60) — first reading, no vote required. - Ratify WEX and Elan prior-period expenditures — approved (voice vote). - Approve Elan credit card use for GrantWatch and SHRM subscriptions — approved (voice vote). - Approve incentive pay for five jail staff (two motions) — both approved (one motion recorded an abstention). - Approve 2.9% CPI for magistrates/effective 01/01/2025 — approved (voice vote). - Ratify paid vendor claims and approve unpaid vendor claims A and B — all approved (voice votes; one abstention recorded). - Consider adding Connelly/County branch to county road system upon advertising and measurement — motion approved to advertise and consider at next meeting.