August 13, 2016 - The Shelby County Children's Advocacy Center is to be the beneficiary of over $19,000 in funding following the approval of the award of funds to the organization by the commissioners at their August 8, 2016 meeting.
Judge Allison Harbison stated the funds were capital credits originating from the electric companies.
"There's only specific ways that you can spend this money,", said Judge Harbison.
The disbursement of the funds is regulated under Texas Local Government Code, Sec. 381.004. Judge Harbison has read the statute and she recommended the commissioners adhere to the F category in the statute, which would help to support the Children's Advocacy Center in providing services for abused children.
Judge Harbison explained any other options included in the statute would require the county to administer to the funds. (Texas Local Government Code, Sec. 381.004)
"In my opinion, the Children's Advocacy Center would be a great place for it to go," said Travis Rodgers, Commissioner Precinct 3.
A motion carried to award $19,634.77 to the Shelby County Children's Advocacy Center.
The Shelby County District Clerk's Office is currently archiving old court records and is in need of funding for this project.
Lori Oliver, District Clerk, recently made a presentation to the commissioners court during a budget hearing about the project. Judge Harbison explained the Shelby County Clerk's Office has several funds and the Records Archive fund will allow for the money to be used for file archiving at the District Clerk's office for county records.
"Jennifer [Fountain, County Clerk], has very graciously offered to give [Oliver] some of her money, because the County Clerk can collect it faster than the District Clerk," said Judge Harbison.
The difference Judge Harbison described is the County Clerk's Office receives a $5 fee per every document filed whereas the District Clerk's Office has to wait for a court case to be filed to receive funding.
"Lori might have three cases filed a day, Jennifer might have 50 instruments filed a day, so you can see how fast her money grows and the District Clerk's doesn't," said Judge Harbison.
Judge Harbison explained the transfer of funds would prevent having to go to the General Fund for the money.
A motion carried to transfer $50,000 from the County Clerk Records Archive fund to the District Clerk's Records Management.
Fountain stated $12,000 has been spent on preservation of records at this time in the District Clerk's Office and a lot more will be needed.
"With the amount of records that she has this is going to be a small chunk as to what she's going to need, but that's the only thing that money can be used for is to preserve the records," said Fountain. "As elected officials, that's what our job is is to preserve the county records."
Rodgers agreed it is going to be a long process.
Ann Blackwell, Shelby County Treasurer, presented a plan to the commissioners to increase revenue for the county by about $1,000 a month. The plan would take money market funds which currently may only increase by about $300 a month.
"We are drawing minimal interest on a large amount of money. We can't do anything about the interest on our general fund, because we need it to operate on," said Blackwell.
Blackwell asked the commissioners for approval to, on a gradual and staggered basis, move most of the money currently in the money market into CDs. She said she has spoken with Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, and Jerry Pinkston at Farmers State Bank about the move.
"They will pay us 70 basis points, which right now we're getting 25, so that's almost three times what we're earning now on a CD over $100,000," said Blackwell.
To prevent tying up much larger sums of money for extended periods of time, Blackwell proposed to the commissioners dividing the money into four staggered CDs beginning in August for 12 months at $425,000. Three months later another $425,000 will be put into a CD and then another until there are four separate CDs at three month intervals.
"We have to have $25,000 to keep the money market open, so whatever we need to leave, make the last one to leave $25,000 in the Money Market," said Blackwell. "Then we would have, in May we would do the last CD and then in August the first one is coming due again. So every three months, one of those $425,000 CDs will come due."
Blackwell explained instead of earning $4,200 over a years time with the same money, the county would earn almost $12,000. Staggering the money will leave it more readily available. According to Blackwell, penalty for removing funds from the CD is 90 days interest.
A motion was carried to approve investment of Money Market funds to Certificates of Deposit with Farmers State Bank.
A motion then carried to amend the Investment Policy from a 6-month investment limit to a 12-month investment limit.
Louis McGinty presented information for the commissioners on the Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Keithville, La. He stated the cemetery was established over nine years ago and there are currently over 1,900 veterans and some spouses interred there.
At the July 11, 2016 meeting of the commissioners' court a policy was adopted for deceased paupers in Shelby County. Almost two weeks previous to the commissioners' court meeting held on August 8, McGinty attended two funerals of veterans whose cremated remains were put to rest.
"There were no family and no friends at those funerals. There were 40-plus Patriot Guard Riders that stood there and honored those veterans that served this country honorably," said McGinty. "At that cemetery on Memorial Day there is a service held and flags are put on every grave in that cemetery. It's done again on Veteran's Day."
McGinty explained on Memorial Day there have been a few people in attendance for the service for the last few years. During Christmas holiday and New Years there are wreaths put on every grave in the cemetery.
The cemetery was established not only to serve northwest Louisiana and southwest Arkansas, but also Northeast Texas.
"The last thing I want done is for anyone to go into a paupers field at a cemetery, but absolutely I do not want a veteran who has served this country honorably to be put someplace," said McGinty.
McGinty explained were it not for a diligent individual identifying one of the recent burials at the cemetery, that veteran would have ended up in a paupers grave in Bossier. All veterans buried in the cemetery receive a military detail, which is a federal law.
"If veterans remains come from Shelby County, then I will assure you myself I will go and Sheriff Blackwell will escort that veteran to that line over here. DeSoto will pick up that veteran and whatever escort or funeral procession there is and take him to the Caddo Line and Caddo will do likewise and escort that veterans remains to that cemetery. It will be done with dignity and honor," Said McGinty.
He stated he was providing the information on the cemetery to share with the community and he would be sharing the information with the Veterans Service Officer - Sherry Riley for the information of veterans. More information on the cemetery can be found at the following link - https://www.vetaffairs.la.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=90
Debora Riley, Tax Assessor-Collector, submitted her report of collections for 2015. According to her report, total payments to the county are $7,321,427.91 which puts the county at a 95% collection rate. Riley reported collections for Road and Bridge were $1,094,462.81 with a collection rate of 95% as well.
A motion carried to accept Riley's report and set a budget hearing for August 22, 2016.
Although not an action item it was necessary for the commissioners to record the open meeting of the Adult Shelby County Community Supervision and Corrections Department minutes for the record.
"There's not anything we can do about it, it's just something that we have to do as per law is to just make it a part of our meeting," said Judge Harbison.
Judge Harbison then asked Clint Porterfield, County Auditor, if he had any input on the separation of Shelby County from the 123rd Judicial District Probation Department.
"Director Bradley Wilburn has been working on the Shelby County budget splitting from Panola County. This item that you're just noting today is for filing of preliminary budget numbers for Shelby County. Those numbers as of right now have not been approved by the state, but we have to, regardless we have to get something filed going forward," said Porterfield.
He explained the process is still ongoing and the general ledger and account numbers are being built for adult probation. He reminded everyone the changeover doesn't officially go into effect until December 1, 2016.
"So far everything is going along smoothly, we're getting it all worked out as to who has to do what and how the funds are going to be done. There's still some things in the air about how we're going to transfer vehicles from the Panola County department to Shelby County, it may be just as simple as doing a title transfer," said Porterfield.
Porterfield stated there are some issues with cash balances and the state has to determine how to split that money and send Shelby County a cash balance. They are also working on how to get funding on December 1 so adult probation can start paying the bills.
The question has been posed to Porterfield as to how the split will affect the Shelby County Budget. He explained it won't actually have an affect on the county budget, but with a program that is state funded the difficulty is getting the funding from the state which has now been either eliminated or decreased as a result of the split.
A motion carried to adjourn the meeting at 10:28am.
Agenda items approved during the meeting include:
1. Minutes of the July 11, 2016 regular meeting and the July 25, 2016 special meeting of the Shelby County Commissioners’ Court.
2. Pay the monthly expenses.
3. Investment of Money Market funds to Certificates of Deposit with Farmers State Bank.
4. Amendment to the Investment Policy from a 6-month limitation to a 12-month limitation.
5. Contract with the Department of State Health Services providing on-line computer services for the County Clerk.
6. Disbursement of $19,634.77 in unclaimed capital credits to the Shelby County Children's Advocacy Center.
7. Transfer of $50,000 in funds from the Shelby County Clerk’s budget to the District Clerk’s budget to support the ongoing effort to preserve the District’s records.
8. Hire Grantworks, Inc. to apply and administer a grant for the National Incident-Based Reporting System through the Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s office.
9. Apply for the National Incident-Based Reporting System grant through the Criminal Justice Division, and approval of Resolution.
10. Authorize procurement of engineering and administrative services for the County’s 2017-2018 TxCDBG Community Development Fund grant application and implementation.
11. Report of collections form Tax Assessor-Collector for 2015 and calculation of effective and rollback tax rates, and set a Budget Hearing for August 22, 2016.
12. Adjourn at 10:28am.
Officers' report
Fees collected per office for July:
Deborah Riley, Tax Assessor/Collector, office: Property: $85,573; Motor Vehicle: $40,708.43 for a total of $126,281.43
Jennifer Fountain, County Clerk: $40,307.88
Lori Oliver, District Clerk: $15,427.85
Maxie Eaves, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1: $9,331
Marla Denby, Justice of the Peace Precinct 2: $945.10
Margie Anderson, Justice of the Peace Precinct 3: $7,071
Jenny Hicks, Justice of the Peace Precinct 4: $1,488.40
Mike Crouch, Justice of the Peace Precinct 5: $2,309.50
Zach Warr, Constable Precinct 1: $1,425
Bryan Gray, Constable Precinct 4: $90
Grand total: $204,677.16
CDs generated $18.31 for a total book value of $60,226.24
Money Market generated $365.82 total market value of $1,723,164.84
Total investments of $1,783,391.08
Interest Bearing Checking Accounts for July 2016
General Fund: 0.10% - $799.70
