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Newton County approves new rental rates and rules for Iris and Ann Howard Civic Center
Summary
The Commissioners Court approved a new fee schedule and deposit policy for the Iris and Ann Howard Civic Center, setting half‑day, full‑day and weekend rates, requiring deposits and verification for nonprofit use.
Newton County Commissioners on the record approved a new fee schedule and rules for the Iris and Ann Howard Civic Center, setting a $75 half‑day rate, $150 full‑day rate, a $250 weekend rate and a $100 refundable deposit subject to post‑event inspection.
County officials said the policy will include verification for nonprofits and clarified which county functions will be exempt from charges. The motion passed with Commissioners seconding and voting in favor.
The change followed discussion about past problems with cleaning and unpaid utilities after events. Commissioners and staff described prior practices in which deposits were forfeited rather than used for cleanup, and commissioners said a higher deposit had been introduced previously to discourage leaving trash behind. Morgan, a county staff member working on the center, said the office has changed its key policy and is using a lockbox for weekend rentals; she also asked the court for clear hourly, day and weekend rates to match local comparables. "I just took this on. So, I mean, I'm... learning as we go," Morgan said during the discussion.
Several commissioners pressed for consistent language about deposits and whether nonprofits should be exempt from rental fees. The court agreed nonprofits and county accounting or training uses would be free of the rental charge but would still be required to pay and verify a deposit to cover potential cleanup liability.
The motion adopted by the court sets: $75 for a half day, $150 for a full day, $250 for a weekend rental, and a $100 deposit that is refunded if post‑event inspection shows the facility returned to county standards. The court also directed staff to require proof of nonprofit status when an organization claims the nonprofit exemption.
The court did not specify a timeline for publishing the formal guidelines; staff said they will finalize a written rental form that documents the renter, event purpose and proof of nonprofit status where claimed.
