WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS ACCEPT ELECTION GRANT

Josh Blaschke October 6, 2020

786

County Clerk Beth Rothermel presents commissioners with information on an election grant being awarded to the county at their meeting Tuesday.

Washington County Commissioners accepted a grant to use for November’s general election at their meeting today (Tuesday).

Commissioners approved a grant agreement to receive $22,842 in funds from Center for Tech and Civic Life. The non-profit organization provides funding to local election offices to ensure they have the resources necessary to safely serve voters amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

County Clerk Beth Rothermel said the grant will be used to increase manpower during the election process, in order to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Rothermel said the amount of grant funding given is based on the number of registered voters and precincts in the county. The county is not required to put up matching funds to receive the grant.

Members of Washington County 4-H stand with Washington Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday, after the court proclaimed October 4-10 as National 4-H Week in the county.

Rothermel said the donation has been vetted by the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) and the Texas Association of Elections Administrators (TAEA), adding that several counties across the state, including Fayette and Austin Counties, have received funding from the organization. County Judge John Durrenberger said the county should be thankful for money “seemingly falling out of the sky.”

Also in court today, Commissioner Joy Fuchs announced the county has been approved for a $22,250 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) for new LED lights at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Fuchs said the new lighting will be installed in several barns at the fairgrounds, cutting down on energy costs and reducing safety hazards. She said the LCRA will present a check to commissioners for the grant at a future meeting.

Commissioners also:

Allowed County Engineer Ross McCall to accept a $16,908 donation from JCB Ranch Management, LLC for road improvements to a section of Mertins Creek Lane in Precinct One. This is the second donation received for improvements to the road, with Texas Double B Ranch donating $16,909 for repairs at the court’s meeting September 22^nd.
Authorized McCall to purchase a new tractor and a new 10-foot wing shredder for $40,639 through a state cooperative purchasing agreement. McCall said the county currently has five tractor-shredder combinations, with each averaging out to about 10,000 hours in useful lifespan. Two of the county’s units are sitting at around 9,700 hours, while another is around 8,000 hours. McCall said the county is only purchasing one new unit right now in order to cut down on immediate expenses; the county will look to replace the other unit with 9,700 hours next year.
Approved a proclamation declaring October 4-10 as National 4-H Week in Washington County.

What’s your Reaction?