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Matagorda County approves grants, vendor contracts and hires fire marshal
Summary
The Matagorda County Commissioners' Court unanimously approved routine grants, vendor and volunteer fire department contracts, budget transfers and reports on March 23, 2026, and after executive session rescinded an offer to Dan Shook and authorized hiring Mike Voorhies as county fire marshal at $75,000 a year, contingent on pre-employment checks.
Matagorda County Judge Bobby Seiferman presided over the Commissioners' Court meeting on March 23, 2026, in Bay City, where the court unanimously approved a series of routine administrative and contractual items and took personnel action after an executive session.
The court approved the minutes from its March 16 meeting by a 5-0 vote following a motion by Commissioner Charles "Bubba" Frick and second by Commissioner Edward "Bubba" Cook. Commissioners then approved an affidavit under the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Texans Feeding Texans Home-Delivered Meal Grant Program Year 2025 for the Economic Action Committee of Gulf Coast; the motion was moved by Commissioner Mike Estlinbaum and seconded by Commissioner Troy Shimek and carried 5-0.
Other unanimous approvals included a contract amendment among Medco Containment Life Insurance Company (MCLIC), Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI) and Matagorda County; the Palacios Library's application for accreditation to the Texas State Library System Local FY 2025–State FY 2027, authorized for signature by the County Judge; and three FY 2026–2027 contracts between Matagorda County and local volunteer fire departments — Bay City VFD, Tres Palacios Oaks VFD and Midfield VFD. Each of those motions carried 5-0.
The court also approved monthly reports from county departments, invoices from Precincts 1 and 2 and the Tax Office, payment of bills, line-item transfers and emergency amendments; those routine finance actions were recorded as carried by unanimous votes.
The court voted at 9:42 a.m. to meet in executive session under Texas Government Code sections 551.0725 (contract deliberation), 551.074(a)(1) and (2) (personnel deliberations), 551.076 (security matters) and 551.087 (economic development negotiations). After reconvening at 10:23 a.m., the court rescinded an offer of employment to Dan Shook "as a direct result of Mr. Shook's refusal of offer," and authorized an offer of employment for Matagorda County Fire Marshall to Mike Voorhies at an annual salary of $75,000, contingent on the prospective employee completing required county pre-employment qualifications, with a start date of April 13, 2026. Both actions were recorded as approved 5-0.
The meeting concluded when Judge Seiferman adjourned the court at approximately 10:26 a.m. The minutes were later approved and signed on March 30, 2026, as recorded in the official minutes.
