Hidalgo County authorizes payroll processing, approves temporary positions after federal COVID grants end

Hidalgo County Commissioners Court authorized the county auditor and treasurer to process invoices and payroll tied to several federal COVID-era health grants that ended March 24, 2025, and approved creation of time-limited positions through July 4, 2025.

Health and Human Services staff told the court they received correspondence from the federal government notifying the county that three grant programs ended effective March 24, 2025. The programs identified in the record were described as: an immunization/COVID program (identifier in the transcript garbled), an Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC)/COVID program, and a health disparities/COVID program. Staff said employees whose positions ended with those grants were impacted and asked the court to authorize payroll processing on April 4, 2025, a nonpayroll date, to cover wages for days worked March 25–26; staff said those days would be covered by the county’s general fund.

The court approved the auditor/treasurer authorization and the payroll-processing action by voice vote; the transcript records the motions as made, seconded and carried but does not include a roll-call tally. The court also approved creation of the time-limited positions listed in an exhibit and voted to waive the posting requirement referenced as part of the county’s civil service rules (transcript cited Section 3.49). The time-limited positions were approved effective upon the court’s action through July 4, 2025.

Separately, the court approved routine payment of registered claims and bills by a voice vote during the meeting. The transcript does not provide dollar amounts for invoices, payroll totals, or the exhibit listing the time-limited positions; those details were not specified in the public record provided.