Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Court tables assistant-auditor order after questions about Operation Lone Star grant language
Summary
The court considered appointing an interim assistant county auditor and modifying assistant-auditor salaries tied to Operation Lone Star (OLS) funding, but county attorney and commissioners flagged wording that may improperly 'order' grant payments; the court agreed to confer and tabled the item for a future meeting pending documentation of governor’s office approval.
Maverick County Commissioners Court on Nov. 25 discussed an order to designate an assistant county auditor to perform the duties of the Maverick County Auditor on an interim basis and to modify several assistant county auditor salaries, including portions funded by the Operation Lone Star (OLS) grant.
Staff identified the interim appointment (Carla Masuda was named in the packet) and said the salary modifications reflected the grant allocations approved by the governor’s office. The county attorney advised the court that language in one of the proposed orders appeared to direct payment from the grant "by order," which the attorney said could be an improper format because grant-funded payments require the governor’s office, the project director and the grant administrator to follow state procedures. The attorney recommended clarifying the language to indicate the funding source rather than issuing an order that directs spending from a state grant.
Court members raised questions about prior POs, backup documentation and whether the payroll items were correctly coded; staff said the grant budget and approvals had been processed by the state and that the amounts were submitted to district judges for approval. Several commissioners expressed a desire to confirm the governor's office approvals and to ensure proper documentation before finalizing the order.
After discussion the court voted to table the item and to reconvene the matter at a subsequent meeting once the county attorney, auditor's office and district judges could verify the grant-related paperwork and the order’s wording. No salary changes were implemented at the Nov. 25 meeting.
