Ward County approves emergency budget amendments, adds $60,938.84 to hospital sweep account

The Ward County Commissioners' Court on Dec. 8, 2025 unanimously adopted emergency amendments to the county and hospital budgets that reallocate line items across multiple funds and add $60,938.84 to the WMH IGT Sweep Account. Commissioner Larry Hanna moved the amendment, Commissioner Guy Thames seconded, and the motion was adopted without dissent.

The amendment package shows line-item shifts in the General Fund (a stated net increase of $600), reallocation of patrol and vehicle maintenance spending in the sheriff's budget, and additions to jail overtime and other jail expenses. The court also recorded an increase of $60,938.84 to the WMH IGT Sweep Account and considered hospital-operating fund adjustments detailed in a Dec. 4 memo from Leticia C. Rodriguez that stated, "an emergency has arisen, and a grave public necessity exists." Specific listed hospital items included a $128,000 transfer to the hospital sweep account and expense allocations for pharmacy, travel, software maintenance and ER physician fees.

County documents in the packet show the sheriff's payroll/vehicle entries include a reallocation labeled Patrol Sargent -30,000.00 and corresponding increases to overtime wages and vehicle maintenance; jail expense lines show $20,000 added to overtime wages and $1,500 added to jail supplies. The Court approved the amendment as presented and recorded the action in the minutes.