Local Republicans want night meetings

The chair of the Orange County Republican Party on Tuesday presented Commissioners Court with a resolution asking that meetings be held at a time "more accessible to the working class."

Chair Cheryl Warren requested the meetings move from the 10 a.m. Tuesday time to sometime 6 p.m. or later. The resolution from the county Republican organization says a morning meeting "is an unrealistic time for tax paying working citizens to attend."

The request comes two weeks after Commissioners Court held a 9 a.m. public hearing on the proposed tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year, along with a public hearing on the proposed budget.

The public hearings are required by state law, but no time is specified. Since 1980, a number of the tax and budget public hearings have been held in the evening, with some leading to standing-room-only in the 128th Courtroom, which holds about 125 people.

The Republican resolution also says the Commissioners Court agenda "is vague" and the minutes from meetings "are vague. "The only way to understand what is being voted on is to attend the meeting and ask questions.

All elected officials in Orange County, including the five members of Commissioners Court, are Republicans.

No one on the court could reply to Warren's comments and the resolution because the subject was not listed on the posted meeting agenda to meet the state open meetings law.

The court's business included unanimously approving the tax rate and budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, which starts October 1.

The new tax rate will be 51 cents per $100 valuation, down from 52 cents per $100 valuation. However, many property owners saw their appraisals from the Orange County Appraisal District jump up this year, so those property owners will be paying more even with a lower rate.

County Judge John Gothia emphasized that the county government does not have anything to do with the appraisals. County appraisal districts were established by the state legislature to do property value appraisals. Gothia pointed out that real estate values have gone up in the county because of the recent growth with new industries and businesses.

Tax statements will be sent out in a few weeks and taxes will be due on January 31, 2025.

The budget will be $62.4 million and include employee pay raises. Judge Gothia said the court looked at a possible increase for county retirees in their pension payments, but the way the system works to cover an increase, the county could not afford one. The county though will be paying $2.8 million in the budget to pay for retirees' medical insurance. That coverage went up about $150,000 this year, he said.

The court approved a a contract with G&G Enterprises of Orange to build the new Orange County Public Health Building for $5.55 million. The contract went through the required bidding process.

The new health building will be constructed by the Orange County Expo Center on FM 1442 and replace the office currently on Strickland Drive.

The county is using ARPA, or American Recovery Plan Act, grants for the construction. Those federal grants were created during the 2020 Covid 19 pandemic to help public entities with paying employees and services during the shutdown.

When the pandemic started, Orange County's public health department had been attached to the one in Hardin County.

The court gave the Sugie Lane Foundation to put up a display on the courthouse lawn in October to bring awareness to the problem of domestic violence. Emily Ross, who started the foundation in honor of her mother, made the request with group volunteers. Ross's mother, Sugie Lane Vasquez, was murdered by her father.

County Tax Assessor-Collector Octavia Guzman reported that in August, her office collected $2.45 million in taxes. The county office collects property taxes for the entities like cities, school districts, and special districts. After collection, the county office disperses the proper shares to each entity.

The county's share of the August collections was $271,300. Guzman said 96.7 percent of the 2023 taxes have now been collected, which is inline with the yearly average rate of 97 percent.

Other business included approving budget transfers from the 2023-24 budget in the Elections Administration office so that $62,760 in new equipment can be bought now so it can be programmed to work properly for the November 5 election.

Judge Gothia said the new equipment will replace out-of-date electronic poll books that are used by poll workers to check voters with proper ID match the registered voters list.

The county will now be maintaining four roads in the Phase 1 of Orange Gardens subdivision. County Engineer Corey Oldbury said the developer-built roads have been inspected to meet the county standards. The subdivision is along FM 105 near the intersection with State Highway 62 in Precinct 3 and the Bridge City ISD.

Bills paid included $110,000 from the general fund to Miracle Recreation Equipment for playground equipment at Blue Bird Park off Simmons Drive at Little Cypress Bayou. Also $49,900 from the general fund for workers comp insurance, $41,000 to the city of Orange for annual radio system use, and $42,400 from the Mosquito Control Fund to Silsbee Ford for a 2023 Ford F150 pickup truck. The county buys vehicles through a regional government cooperative that gets competitive bidding.