Court approves regular bills, payroll transfer and hears ARPA funding update

Harrison County Commissioners Court approved payment of regular county bills Feb. 25 and authorized a $200,000 transfer to the group health insurance fund to cover medical claims.

The court moved and passed payment of routine invoices presented at the meeting. A presenter requested payment of what was read into the record as $1,151,144.39 (transcript formatting was garbled) and noted the invoices included a $461,500 charge for a control system. Commissioners also approved payroll and a $200,000 transfer into the group health claims account to smooth cash flow between non‑payroll weeks.

County staff briefed the court on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and outstanding invoices. The presenter said the county had received $328,500 toward a larger expected amount and that the county had submitted required materials to the Department of Health and Human Services by the July 31 deadline. The presenter also reported receiving an email from the U.S. Treasury about a de‑obligation; the numerical details in the transcript were unclear and will require staff clarification. The presenter said the county planned to submit paperwork to the U.S. Treasury at the next court meeting to finalize ARPA accounting.

Commissioners approved the payments and transfers by voice vote. Staff noted two outstanding invoices: one final payment to a vendor identified as EEX and an outstanding labor payment for the Holly Street drainage project, which cannot be paid until project completion is certified.