Van Zandt County commissioners approve contracts and ARPA-funded tech upgrades; authorize courthouse cost estimate and ambulance grant submission

At a meeting of the Van Zandt County Commissioners Court, members moved through routine and project matters, approving a series of administrative and capital actions and authorizing next steps on several grant and equipment projects.

County Judge cited the Texas Open Meetings Act to justify holding today’s meeting after weather-related closures and said there were no public comments. The court then addressed items on the agenda including elections contracts, animal-services funding, courthouse restoration costing, ambulance-grant application authority, radio-tower generator alarms and a dispatch software upgrade.

Elections: With the county elections administrator (Shannon) present, the court approved authorizing the elections administrator to enter standard, state-issued joint contracts with the Van Zandt County Democratic and Republican parties to administer the 2026 primary elections under Chapter 172 of the Texas Election Code. Shannon said the county bills the parties for ballot paper (0.54 cents per ballot), may charge up to $5 per device rental (typically $2.50 per party per device) and applies a 10% administration fee; the county remains responsible for early-voting costs and any county-paid polling-place…