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Maverick County court approves hires, raises, budget amendments and several contracts
Summary
At its Aug. 12 meeting the Maverick County commissioners approved multiple personnel actions — including hires and promotions with effective dates Aug. 12–13 — recognized more than $603,000 in insurance reimbursements, amended the debt service estimate used for the 2024 tax-rate calculation and approved several vendor payments and donations.
The Maverick County Commissioners Court on Aug. 12 approved a package of personnel moves, budget adjustments and contract payments while sending three agenda items into executive session for attorney consultation.
In voice votes the court approved a promotion for a court staffer (Moreno) to court coordinator at $21.07 per hour and a separate salary change for an assistant court coordinator (Annette) to $20.68 per hour, both effective Aug. 12, 2024. The court also approved commencement of employment for a community supervision officer, Joshua J. B. Abraham, effective Aug. 13, 2024, at an annual starting salary of $45,000 and authorized a position transfer to assign an Operation Lone Star investigator post to MCSO investigator Pablo Lopez at an hourly rate of $19.31.
The court voted to terminate the legal-services engagement with the firm associated with Luis Roberto Verra Jr., directing the county’s current outside counsel to continue handling ongoing opioid litigation. The court record shows the litigation has been active since 2018 and that recoveries have occurred for the county, but commissioners said a total recovery amount was not available during the meeting.
On financial items the court amended the estimated debt service fund balance used for the 2024 tax-rate calculation from a stated $729,501 to an amended $706,000, and it recognized $603,516.58 in insurance reimbursements. Commissioners approved FY2024 budget amendments totaling about $153,606.80 and authorized payment of an Electromechanics invoice (number 4603) for $17,200 to repair a pump at a wastewater facility; staff said the repair was required to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulations.
Other approved actions included promotion of Ernesto Oliveira from medical assistant to detention officer (replacement for Christina Villavial), acceptance of a donation of four computers and office furniture to the Nick Park Community Center from Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, and approval of multiple replat and subdivision items in affected precincts. The commissioners also approved a month-to-month contract to install a fax line for the district attorney’s office.
The court reviewed multiple accounts-payable lists and discussed several outstanding invoices for sheriff vehicle hardware; staff said funding for those invoices will come from the sheriff’s budget following the approved amendment. The court voted to take items 8, 39 and 48 into executive session under Texas Government Code §551.071 for consultation with the county’s attorney and announced it would retire to executive session at 6:06 p.m.
The meeting record shows repeated unanimous voice votes on the listed motions; where specific dollar totals or cumulative figures were discussed (notably the total recoveries in opioid litigation) commissioners asked staff to provide or confirm the numbers later. The court directed staff and outside counsel to follow up where additional documentation or fiscal reconciliation is needed.
The commissioners’ court meeting was held at the Maverick County courthouse and recessed into executive session to address the specified agenda items.
