Courthouse restoration on schedule for April; rededication tentatively set for July 3

Representatives from the facilities committee updated the commissioner's court on Jan. 27 that work on the courthouse restoration and the annex project is ongoing and that progress has been steady. "Work is ongoing," Speaker 4 said, and Speaker 5 told the court the contractor is "aiming for April for significant completion," which would allow planning for a rededication around July 3, the county's founding anniversary.

Committee members said lighting and much of the supplementary fit-out are complete in the district courtroom and that furniture orders are in process. They flagged the possibility of one more change order to cover low-voltage cabling routing and recommended holding a small contingency to avoid delays if last-minute items arise. Speaker 5 said the county and two other grant recipients (Mason County and Taylor County) received funding in the same round and are generally on a similar timetable.

The committee emphasized the tentative nature of the July date: rededication would require historical commission sign-off and coordination with elected officials' schedules. The court did not approve any change order or new expenditure during the Jan. 27 session; the update was informational and the court expects a future item should the committee require formal approval for contingency or change orders.