Zapata County halts payment on unidentified $328,500 check, hears tax-collection report

Zapata County Commissioners Court on Dec. 9 stopped payment on a $328,500 check that lacked identifying information and later reissued a corrected payment after confirming the payer, County Clerk Mary Jane said.

"I went ahead and stopped payment on it," Mary Jane told the court, describing how the county received a third-party check with no identifiers and held it until the source was confirmed and a replacement issued.

The court also received its regular financial reports. A county official reviewed demand-account balances, operating-account revenue and expenses, and forecasts for incoming property-tax receipts; officials noted transfers into TexPool and discussed how incoming tax dollars will affect interest earnings.

In a separate presentation, Gonzalez of LER Golden & Samson LLP summarized tax-collection work for Oct. 1, 2023–Sept. 30, 2024. Gonzalez said the firm used phone outreach, in-person 'knock and talk' visits and litigation when necessary, filing 58 cases during the year.

"We collected $857,000" in base tax, penalty and interest for the period, Gonzalez told the court, an increase from the prior year. He said the firm is focusing on mineral accounts and abandoned commercial properties and will add a ledger to future reports to track refunds tied to homestead exemptions.

The court approved the financial reports and the list of checks issued for the period by voice vote.

What's next: county staff will continue reconciling accounts, and the treasurer will monitor TexPool performance as tax receipts arrive in the coming weeks.