County Commissioners Still Waiting for Federal Grants
by Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – Houston County Commissioners Court met Tuesday, July 9 to work out some budget issues among delayed federal payments for road projects and increases in pricing, from employee insurance to law enforcement tools.
The court received reports from several county departments, including from County Auditor Melissa Jeter, who informed them of the results from Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) grants given to local events and festivals over the past few months. The funds are to be used to promote tourism to the area, but the commissioners have been clear with organizers they must submit proof of the effectiveness of the event, to prove the funds were put to good use. While the report was not public, Jeter told the commissioners all of the events had reported back, as required, except for one, which was not complete. Precinct Two Commissioner Willie Kitchen asked if it was the event commissioners had had reservations about funding, with Jeter confirming this. Events which do not properly report the tourist impact of their events risk being denied funding in the future.
The commissioners also compliments the Community Service Department of the county, noting they do good work and always respond to any issues in a timely manner.
A change was made to county travel policies, noting that any county officer in an elected position who is a “lame duck,” or who had not been re-elected to another term, would have to seek pre-approval for any travel expenses before making their plans. Houston County Sheriff Randy Hargrove, whose term ends at the end of the year, asked the court for an exception to this rule, as he and his Chief Deputy had already made reservations for an event at the end of the month. Houston County Judge Jim Lovell asked Hargrove to take up the matter at the next meeting, but seeing as there would not be a meeting before the planned event, authorized the Sheriff to proceed with his plans.
Crockett Police Department (CPD) Chief Clayton Smith had reached out to the county to let them know of an increase in cost to the Celebrite system, shared by CPD and county law enforcement officials. The program allows other law enforcement agencies and county prosecutors to follow investigations and see other pertinent information as it is produced. Hargrove told the court how much the system helped the agencies work together, while County Attorney Daphne Session said it was helpful to her department and the District Attorney’s office, too. The agreement has been in place since 2021, but the higher cost of a little over $9,000 per year required the court to share the cost in the budget among various departments. This was approved.
Official historic trail signs were approved to be installed in the El Camino Real de Los Tejas National Historical Trail.
The court also applied for federal grants to aid in several road projects around the county, with Jeter reminding the commissioners the grants are sometimes paid late, with the county waiting over seven years to receive one grant in particular. She said this delay often caused problems with budgeting, with the county having to use funds for other projects to use while the grant money comes in. The commissioners agreed the amount of paperwork and red tape for federal grants can be daunting.
The court approved seeking the grants, while Kitchen asked the eternal question, “Has anyone ever known the federal government to make anything easier?”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
