Newton County halts nutrition-center donations until procedures comply with state law

The Newton County Commissioners Court voted to stop accepting donations at the county nutrition (senior) center until written procedures are revised to comply with Texas Local Government Code, as referenced during the meeting. A commissioner told the court the county recorded roughly $24,000 in donations in 2023–24 that had not been brought before the court for approval, and urged a pause while staff and the auditor create a clear, compliant process.

The motion to suspend donations and payments at the nutrition center was made and seconded; the court approved the motion and directed staff to remove the donation box pending formal procedure changes. County staff and commissioners said the pause is procedural only — the congregate meal service itself will continue while the court drafts a plan for how donations are collected, reported and turned over to the treasurer’s office.

Commissioners asked staff to coordinate with the region’s DECOG procedures (the transcript references DECOG guidance) and with the county auditor and treasurer to ensure any new donation-handling procedure complies with the Texas Local Government Code provision cited during the discussion. The court did not provide a timetable for completing the procedure; commissioners said the item would return as a formal agenda item for approval.

"My motion here today is that we stop accepting donations or payments at the nutrition center until we have a firm management on how the money is collected, how it's reported, and how it's transferred to the treasurer's office," one commissioner said during debate. The court approved the motion and ordered the temporary removal of the donation box.