Rooftop solar construction approved
The Hopkins County Commissioners Court met Monday for a regular session. County Judge Robert Newsom was unable to attend due to illness, so Pct. 3 Commissioner Wade Bartley presided over the meeting.
Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the annual external audit conducted by Rutledge, Crain and Company, PC, an Arlington-based accounting firm. Lewis Crain appeared in court to discuss his firm’s findings, particularly “the great shape the [County’s] General Fund is in.”
Crain defined the General Fund as “adding up all [the] assets, subtracting all [the] liabilities; the General Fund is what [is] left over after [you]’ve paid all [your] debts.”
Crain said there were funds moved from the General Fund earmarked for road and bridge repair which were not spent due to weather preventing the work from occurring. Those funds have been moved back into the General Fund.
Hopkins County is currently ahead on revenue by $976,000, and Crain believes that is due to an upturn in growth and economic activity.
Expenditures were also under budget by $146,000, according to Crain.
“That shows whoever is running the departments is doing a good job of staying under budget,” Crain said.
“The ‘bad news’ is that pension liability is up to $7.8 million this year from $3.4 million last year. It has more than doubled,” Crain told the commissioners. “Pension liability can be difficult to track and difficult to control. The professionals at Texas County and District Retirement Services [a retirement fund for county and district employees across Texas] had a big swing up about two years ago.”
The court tabled approving the appointment of Dana Sills to the Lakes Regional Community Center Board of Trustees. They plan to revisit the matter at a future court session.
Commissioners also unanimously approved combining maintenance contracts for rooftop solar panels at the Hopkins County jail and the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center. They also approved rooftop solar construction at Heritage Park and the new Hopkins County Law Enforcement Courtroom.
The court approved a re-plat of Lots 1 and 2 in Phase II of the High Point Estates subdivision to allow an easement of the southern property line of one of the lots in order to allow construction of a tower that will provide Internet to the area. Commissioners approved a utility easement request from Farmers Electric Cooperative, Inc. to construct electrical power distribution facilities which will cross County Road 3513 located 1,733 feet north of County Road 3513 in Pct. 3.
The next regular commissioners court session will convene at 9 a.m. Monday. March 9 in the first floor courtroom of the Hopkins County Courthouse.