Harrison County commissioners approve budget transfers, grants and employee handbook changes; road work report shows 23.7 miles completed

The Harrison County Commissioners Court met Sept. 25 in the historic courthouse in Marshall and approved a slate of routine budget actions, contract amendments and personnel-policy changes, while Road & Bridge staff reported on this year’s construction work.

The court approved line-item transfers totaling $432,663.84 to cover salary true-ups, overtime, and road construction needs and to move SB 22 funds in the sheriff’s office from salary to equipment, a change county Auditor Sheryl Haynes said avoids returning grant money to the state. The transfers were approved unanimously after a motion and second.

Haynes also requested and received approval to pay $1,537,804.01 in regular bills, an amount that she said includes a late payment to Karnak ISD and upcoming annual payments for county software and insurance. The court approved payroll for Sept. 12, 2025 in a separate, unanimous vote.

Among budget amendments approved was one to establish revenue and spending authority for a new alternative dispute resolution fee (Haynes said the county collected more than $25,000 and had paid about $1,210 from it) and a special budget recognizing Homeland Security grant funds to purchase Motorola radios for an ESD. The court also approved a savings grant contract (CDash02694) for the statewide automated victim notification system covering Sept. 1, 2025–Aug. 31, 2026, and authorized a resolution to resell tax properties previously bid in trust, with staff noting they will stagger lots in Lake Deerwood across sales to improve marketability.

Road & Bridge representative Barry Powell said the county finished its annual reconstruction season Sept. 17: 12.54 miles of full-depth reconstruction with cement stabilization and 11.195 miles of contracted chip seal, for a combined total of 23.735 miles. Powell said crews continue patching, overlays, oil/dirt work and ditch cleanup and that storm impacts were minor, with one downed tree reported on Blocker Road. The court approved personnel changes for Road & Bridge related to retirements and vacancies; Powell reported 45 full-time positions filled with nine funded openings.

The court approved the purchase of four 2026 Chevrolet trucks through Enterprise Fleet Management—two service trucks and two dump-bed trucks—to replace older units as part of the county’s rotation program.

On contracts and procurement, the court approved awarding FY25 outside auditing services to Patillo, Brown & Hill (staff noted multiple bids and a higher bid near $78,000 from an alternative firm), and approved an amendment to a Flock contract to align dates with an MVCPA grant. Purchasing staff also presented a surplus property list, including retired fleet and IT equipment, and discussed auctions and handling of seized or abandoned vehicles still on county property.

Human-resources changes were a major part of the meeting: county staff proposed and the court approved revisions to the employee handbook affecting longevity pay, sick leave and vacation policies. The longevity change moves payouts from biweekly to a November lump-sum distribution, shortens the eligibility waiting period from three years to one year, and shifts accounting treatment so the expense is recognized in the fiscal year but paid the following November, Haynes said. The court also approved increasing maximum sick leave accrual from 360 to 480 hours to allow coverage for a 12-week FMLA absence, and adopted a revised vacation policy that allows immediate use for new hires, converts annual lump-sum awards into biweekly accrual, consolidates 16 hours of personal leave into vacation accruals, and adjusts accrual brackets (for example, 1–4 years: 12 days; 5–9 years: 14 days).

The court nominated Ross Brown and Albert Tiller to appear on the Harrison Central Appraisal District board ballot, a routine nomination process that prompted a brief discussion about whether individuals serving on school boards also should serve on the appraisal-district board.

The court approved an indigent-defense formula grant submission to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission and approved FY24–25 annual contracts, including the children’s services board and an ESD contract. All motions recorded during the meeting passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 9:49 a.m.

Votes at a glance

- Line-item transfers ($432,663.84): approved 5–0 (motion and second recorded). - Payment of regular bills ($1,537,804.01): approved 5–0. - Payroll (09/12/2025): approved 5–0. - Budget amendment: Alternative dispute resolution fund (~$25,000): approved 5–0. - Budget amendment: Homeland Security grant (Motorola radios/ESD): approved 5–0. - Road & Bridge personnel changes: approved 5–0. - Utility permits (Eastex Telephone, Spectrum Gulf Coast): approved 5–0. - Road condition report (09/01/2025): approved 5–0. - Purchase of 4 trucks (Enterprise Fleet Management): approved 5–0. - Approval of transcribed minutes (09/04/2025): approved 5–0. - Surplus property declarations: approved 5–0. - Award FY25 outside audit services (Patillo, Brown & Hill): approved 5–0. - Resolution to resell tax properties (December tax sale): approved 5–0. - HCAD board nominations (Ross Brown, Albert Tiller): approved 5–0. - Flock contract amendment (align with MVCPA grant): approved 5–0. - SAVIN/savings grant contract (CDash02694): approved 5–0. - Longevity pay policy revision: approved 5–0. - Sick leave accrual increase (360→480 hours): approved 5–0. - Vacation policy revisions: approved 5–0. - FY26 formula grant request (Texas Indigent Defense Commission): approved 5–0. - FY24–25 annual contracts authorization: approved 5–0.

Sources: meeting transcript, Sept. 25, 2025, Harrison County Commissioners Court.