Randall County moves fund-balance money to pay $179,000 invoice for five tornado sirens; additional sirens remain pending installation

Randall County Commissioners Court on May 27 approved a budget amendment transferring money from fund balance into a capital account to pay a $179,000 invoice from the City of Amarillo for installation of five tornado sirens.

County budget staff said the county originally budgeted for sirens in an earlier fiscal year but the city purchased and installed them later, creating a timing mismatch that left the expense in fund balance. The county moved the funds to the capital account so the invoice could be paid.

County staff said four additional sirens that had been budgeted remain uninstalled; those units are expected to be installed in future months but the city had not yet billed the county for them. The court discussed coordination with the Amarillo Emergency Operations Center, vendor scheduling and remote-management of sirens; commissioners were assured the five installed sirens are operational and a map of installed locations was provided.

The court approved the budget amendment 4-0. Staff said if the remaining four sirens are installed and billed in the current fiscal year the county will need to transfer additional funds from fund balance at that time.