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Speakers press court on certificates of obligation and county attorney-fee spending
Summary
During public comment, residents urged the court to limit use of certificates of obligation for large capital projects without voter approval and questioned proposed attorney-fee payments related to the district attorney's defense; commissioners heard the comments but took no immediate action on those two issues at the meeting.
NUECES COUNTY — Public comment at the May 24 commissioners—ourt included pointed appeals on county finance and legal spending.
Michael Ritgers, a resident of Corpus Christi, addressed the court about a proposed certificate of obligation tied to the Nueces County Hospital District. "Certificates of obligation ... were not designed to fund the building of a $45,000,000 project within the Nueces County Hospital District without voter approval," Ritgers said, adding a 40-year amortization at the rates cited would roughly double the cost when interest is included.
Victoria Holland spoke about a separate item — an attorney-fee proposal connected to the defense of the county istrict attorney — and asked commissioners to ensure fiduciary scrutiny and parity with county attorney hourly rates. "My concern is simply this: any lawyer put up for the defense of Mark Gonzales did so, I assume, under the understanding that he would be acting in the capacity of a public defender," Holland said. She urged the court to verify hourly rates and background documentation in any proposal before authorizing county funds.
Court response: commissioners acknowledged the comments and noted that the items raised — certificates of obligation and any attorney-fee expenditures — are subject to separate agenda processes and legal review. No immediate votes were taken on those specific public comments; commissioners referred funding and contract items to the appropriate agenda or to staff for follow-up.
Why it matters: both topics raise questions about fiscal accountability and public approval of long-term debt and of county-funded legal defense. Commissioners indicated they would consider those concerns in follow-up briefings and formal agenda items.
Ending: commissioners thanked the speakers and asked staff to ensure background information and supporting documentation are available on future agendas where the matters will be considered.
