The Starr County Commissioners Court cleared a set of routine but consequential administrative items at its final 2024 meeting on Dec. 23, approving grants, appointments, procurement authorizations and budget moves in a series of unanimous votes.

Key approvals included acceptance of a 2024 Operation Stone Garden award presented in the record as coming from 'FITS' in the amount of $2,794,388; authorization for Milnet Architects to solicit competitive proposals for remodeling the Johanal Detention Center and upgrading security technology using awarded congressional funds (recorded in the meeting as $963,000); and a net change order for Jay and Son Construction in the amount of $7,059.75. The court also approved a resolution enabling Union Water Supply to pursue a USDA loan and grant, and accepted a $2,000 donation from BTX for the Starr County Fire Department (Precinct 4).

Administrative items included final approval of the La Noria No. 6, Rancho Santo Domingo subdivision and appointment of new members to the Starr County Historical Commission representing multiple precincts and communities. The court approved a correction to the county holiday calendar to fix an incorrect weekday listing and voted to move monies already cleared from ARPA into a separate account, with staff noting the funds should be recorded under "revenue replacement for the provision of government services." Items 20–27 (budget amendments) were approved, and the court entered executive session under Section 551.074 to discuss order of salaries; upon return it approved the salary order as presented.

Most motions were moved, seconded and carried by unanimous voice vote recorded as "aye." The meeting record contains minimal debate on these items; one brief discussion raised a county accounting question about apparently uncashed checks received from an entity identified in the record as "VTX," which the court said it would investigate. No items were tabled or failed.

The court opened its final meeting with a presentation from Valiant Energy Sources on a street-lighting and energy-consulting offering (the presentation was informational only) and closed with holiday remarks from Judge Eloy Vera.

Votes at a glance: vendor list (approved); Roma Port antenna authorization (approved); holiday calendar correction (approved); historical commission appointments (approved); ARPA funds reclassification (approved); La Noria No. 6 final plat (approved); Milnet Architects RFP authorization ($963,000 congressional funds) (approved); Operation Stone Garden acceptance ($2,794,388) (approved); resolution for grant "31 93 4 10" (approved); Jay and Son net change order ($7,059.75) (approved); Union Water Supply USDA resolution (approved); BTX donation $2,000 (approved); budget amendments (items 20–27) (approved); order of salaries after executive session (approved).