Commissioners weigh cutting courthouse cleaning contract and county contributions to sesquicentennial events
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Summary
The court considered removing a proposed $25,000 cleaning contract for courthouse maintenance and debated a proposed $35,000 county contribution for semi‑sesquicentennial events; some commissioners recommended eliminating the cleaning contract and reallocating funds or partnering with cities and community groups for event funding.
Commissioners reviewed a proposed $25,000 new line item in the courthouse-and-annex maintenance budget to contract cleaning services for two courthouses and discussed whether the county should add $35,000 under "contributions" for semisesquicentennial (150th) events.
One commissioner recommended cutting the $25,000 contract, saying the county employs two full-time custodians and that department heads have been augmenting cleaning duties. In debate, another commissioner thanked the sheriff and department heads for extra cleaning assistance and said custodians work hard and pay should be considered when appropriate.
On event funding, a commissioner questioned allocating $35,000 for a county celebration in a year when the budget is constrained, suggesting that cities and Chambers of Commerce could host and raise private sponsorships instead. The judge and other commissioners noted municipalities — Gatesville and Copperas Cove — were planning events and suggested more equitable contributions among municipalities rather than a single county-run celebration.
No formal vote occurred; commissioners directed staff to remove or re-evaluate the cleaning contract line item and to consider smaller, targeted contributions (for example, a small allocation for flags or banners) and coordination with city-level organizers for sesquicentennial activities.
Ending: Staff will adjust the proposed maintenance and contributions line items, removing or revising the $25,000 cleaning contract and identifying a modest ($2,000) set-aside for courthouse decorations while exploring partnership funding options for community celebrations.