Rockwall County closes annex under budget, reallocates ARPA savings to sheriff remodel

The Rockwall County Commissioners Court on Dec. 9 approved a change order and a spending addendum that the court said will move federal American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds from the nearly completed county annex to the county sheriff's renovation project.

Commissioner Stacy told the court the annex project has come in well under its original estimates, reporting an original guaranteed maximum price of about $17,269,419 reduced to roughly $13,558,962 through change order number 7, which the court approved by a 5‑0 vote. Stacy said that change order and related auditing work released roughly $446,000 for reallocation and that additional unobligated ARPA funds — identified through auditing — total about $485,617.19 to be moved to the sheriff's project via addendum number 3 to the county MOU. "We were able to turn this $20,300,000 of federal funds into some very serious projects," Stacy said, summarizing the court's multi‑year effort to obligate and spend ARPA money.

The court's action included two linked votes: approval of Change Order No. 7 with Hill & Wilkerson Construction Group for the Rockwall County Annex Project, which the judge recorded as passing 5‑0, and approval of Addendum No. 3 reallocating approximately $485,617.19 from the annex to the Rockwall County Sheriff's Department renovation, which also passed 5‑0.

County officials cautioned that the final numbers remain subject to a finishing audit. "We have an ARPA auditor at GrantWorks, our own auditor team, and a construction auditing team," Stacy said, describing multiple reviews to reconcile funds before final closeout.

Commissioner comments and staff reports described how interest earnings and rigorous oversight trimmed project costs: Commissioner Stacy said the annex produced about $2.3 million in interest that helped fund the third‑floor work and that roughly half of the sheriff's remodel was paid with ARPA. The county auditor and treasurer were credited with managing investments and stretch­ing grant dollars, and the judge praised the multi‑court and staff coordination that produced savings.

The court also authorized the underlying change order that reduces some allowances and contingencies in the Annex GMP; the change order language presented to the court included the revised total and release amounts. The county indicated it expects to release final retainage to the general contractor after addressing one remaining audit item with Hill & Wilkinson and completing delivery and installation of outstanding furniture.

What happens next: county audit teams and GrantWorks will complete reconciliation work and finalize closeout paperwork before funds are considered fully obligated or expended. The addendum and change order direct staff to transfer identified ARPA dollars into the sheriff's project budget for eligible renovation expenditures; commissioners said they expect the sheriff remodel to proceed on the revised funding plan.