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Court approves addendum for volunteer fire department supplemental funding and allocates $128,000 to Marion VFD for a water tender
Summary
After debate about accountability and preferred payment methods, the court authorized an addendum to interlocal agreements for supplemental funding to volunteer fire departments and approved a $128,000 allocation to Marion Volunteer Fire Department toward the purchase of a used water tender (motion passed 4–1).
Guadalupe County commissioners on Dec. 16 approved an addendum to interlocal agreements that will govern supplemental funding to volunteer fire departments and authorized a $128,000 allocation to Marion Volunteer Fire Department for a used water tender.
Staff presented two options for distributing funds — a boilerplate contract addendum or a PDF fillable form similar to previous ARPA processes — and county attorneys and auditors advised adding a written addendum to existing interlocal agreements to ensure accountability, require receipts, and preserve audit rights for five years.
Several chiefs and commissioners emphasized the need to expedite payments because departments have already purchased or ordered equipment. Marion VFD’s chief said the truck they were negotiating for was priced at about $220,000; Marion offered $100,000 from its own funds and requested $128,000 from the county allocation. Commissioners voted to approve the $128,000 request; the chair recorded the motion as passing 4 yeas and 1 nay.
Court discussion clarified that funds will be allocated and that departments have one year to expend funds and must provide documentation at the end of that year; staff said invoices already submitted could be included on the bill list for the Jan. 6 meeting if paperwork is complete.
Next steps: Staff (County Auditor and County Attorney) will finalize the addendum and an accompanying fillable form, obtain signatures from departments as needed, and place eligible payments on the Jan. 6 bill list for disbursement.
