Votes at a glance: Washington County Commissioners approve donation, contracts, purchasing policy changes and fees

Washington County Commissioners moved on several routine and substantive items on Sept. 23, approving a donation to EMS, rental contracts for the Washington County Expo, revisions to the county purchasing policy, procurement actions for an EMS station, 2026 sheriff and constable fees, and accounts payable. Below are the items, outcomes and key details from the meeting.

Votes at a glance - Donation accepted: Texans United for Freedom (TUF) donated $10,000 to Washington County EMS. Motion carried by voice vote. - Expo rental regulations/contracts approved: Court approved two pending Washington County Expo rental regulation contracts (a bull sale and an agricultural irrigation seminar) and granted the county judge authority to sign the contracts. Motion carried by voice vote. - Purchasing policy revisions approved: Court approved updates to the Washington County purchasing policy to align bidding thresholds with recent state legislative changes, increasing the threshold from $50,000 to $100,000 and adjusting other thresholds accordingly. Motion carried by voice vote. - EMS procurement (also covered in separate article): Commissioners approved Emergency Medical Services to utilize Cargo Home as a sole‑source vendor for EMS Station 6 at Lake Somerville under Texas Local Government Code §262.024(a)(7). Motion carried by voice vote. Purchase price cited at $496,760; CARES funds to be used. - Sheriff and constable fees (2026) approved: Court approved the 2026 sheriff’s and constables’ fee schedule. The meeting record indicates proposed increases to writ fees to $225 (from amounts in surrounding counties of $200–$250) and an increase in hourly officer reimbursement after the first hour from $30 to $50. Motion carried by voice vote. - Accounts payable approved: Court approved accounts payable for the period. Court discussion described a large accounts payable run that “almost hit a million and a half.” The packet included large items discussed during budget review such as server purchases (approximately $528,000) and an EMS unit purchase (about $288,000). Motion carried by voice vote.

Context and notes - Donation: Phyllis Stagen, president of Texans United for Freedom, presented the donation and said her organization had given roughly $400,000 to local nonprofits since 2015; she asked that Washington County EMS be the first beneficiary after her group’s relocation to Washington County. - Purchasing policy: County staff said the legislature raised the formal bidding threshold to $100,000 and the county revised its purchasing policy language to align with that change. Staff described the change as largely housekeeping to match statutory thresholds. - Fees: County law enforcement recommended fee increases after surveying surrounding counties; the court approved adjustments for writs and hourly rates for officers on call after the first hour. - Accounts payable: County staff and the judge noted a larger‑than-usual run of invoices in a single week; the court confirmed these were previously authorized budget items.

No roll‑call vote tallies were recorded in the public transcript for these items; each motion was carried by voice vote.