Commissioners review regular bills; $1.2 million jail bond payment and large utility bills discussed

Wichita County Commissioners spent part of Friday’s meeting reviewing regular bills and accounts payable, during which staff flagged a roughly $1.2 million debt payment for the jail bond included in the disbursement batch.

Commissioners asked staff for the status of the debt-service account. Staff said the account had a year-end fund balance estimated at a few hundred thousand dollars, with one staff member offering a working estimate of about $500,000 that would be sufficient to cover the September bond payment. Commissioners and staff discussed whether the county could make additional principal payments or should hold the fund balance as a buffer.

The group also questioned a large utility charge — an Atmos gas bill reported at roughly $412,000 for the jail and the LEC — and asked whether any further progress had been made on utility disputes or rate reviews. No new resolution of that utility matter was reported during the meeting.

Staff reminded the court the jail bond annual payments fall on March 15 and Sept. 15; commissioners asked for additional review and noted that any major change in how the fund balance is used would be a budget decision requiring follow-up.

Ending: Commissioners did not change debt-service policy during the session; staff were asked to provide more precise fund-balance figures and options for any early debt-reduction moves.