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Starr County finance officials report mixed results: surpluses in some funds, deficits in enterprise accounts
Summary
County finance staff told the commission court on April 13 that March 2026 showed surpluses in several operating funds but deficits in certain enterprise accounts, including a reported international bridge deficit and a transfer-station shortfall; commissioners asked about investing idle cash.
Starr County finance staff reported mixed fiscal results for March 2026 during the county commission court on April 13.
Mr. Rosales presented fund balances and told the court that the general fund's ending balance was roughly $9.45 million and the road-and-bridge fund's ending balance about $1.92 million. Enterprise funds were reported at approximately $2.65 million, the drainage district at about $4.32 million, and the INS fund at about $2.92 million, bringing total ending balances to around $21.27 million, Mr. Rosales said.
Auditor Menise then provided the unaudited monthly report for March 31, 2026. The auditor listed year-to-date general fund revenues of about $16.15 million and year-to-date expenditures of roughly $11.86 million, yielding a reported surplus in the general fund. Menise also reported an outstanding total debt balance of $20,635,943.
Menise flagged deficits in some enterprise operations. She reported an international bridge deficit of $177,362 and a transfer-station deficit of $293,589, while the gas system showed a modest surplus of $17,169. The auditor characterized several line items as requiring follow-up and clarification in later reports.
Earlier in the meeting the tax assessor (Miss Alas) summarized March collections: she reported current collections for March 2026 at $732,622.38 and delinquent collections for March 2026 at $288,280.61, noting delinquent collections were higher than in March 2025. The assessor said the office had collected 91% of projected current collections and about 44% of projected delinquent collections, with projected remaining current collections of $1,989,641.09 and projected delinquent collections remaining of $1,799,563.86.
Commissioners asked staff whether some idle cash could be placed in certificates of deposit or other interest-bearing instruments. Mr. Rosales said the county has been renewing short-term accounts and would explore additional options to earn interest on available funds.
The auditor and finance staff presented figures as unaudited; the court did not take further fiscal action on these reports but requested continued monitoring and follow-up in subsequent meetings.
