Harrison County auditor says CDC will reimburse nearly $959,000; court approves regular bills

Becky Haines, the county auditor, told the Harrison County Commissioners Court that the Centers for Disease Control has approved a reimbursement grant that will return $958,920.64 to the county for eligible costs the county has already paid.

"The CDC is going to fund our grant. So we will be receiving $958,920.64," Haines said, adding that the majority of the funds will post to Fund 490 and that some currently reside in the general fund because the county had already budgeted for them. She said staff will coordinate with outside auditors on the accounting treatment and that the CDC was processing invoices.

Haines also asked the court to approve payment of regular bills totaling $1,066,841.46, noting that $494,965.31 of that amount is the second ARPA installment for an eText internet project and will be covered by ARPA funds. The court approved the payment by voice vote, 5–0.

The court also approved payroll for Dec. 20, 2024, and ratified a $300,000 transfer to group health insurance for medical claims during the same meeting; both measures passed unanimously.

The treasurer later reported the county’s November cash position, including an ending cash balance of $2,111,274.67 and cash plus investments of $23,095,016.77. Commissioners asked staff about the timing of property tax receipts and how interest is handled while funds remain with the tax assessor.

The court recorded no changes to the payroll item and approved all financial reports and motions by unanimous voice votes. The auditor said the CDC funds had not yet been received but that approval and processing were underway.