WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS APPROVE NOVEMBER ELECTION ITEMS, REPLACEMENT LED SIGN AT EXPO

  

Washington County Commissioners passed a set of items in preparation for the November election at their meeting today (Tuesday).

The court approved an order for the November 5^th general election as recommended by the Texas Secretary of State.  It also approved appointments for election judges and alternates, the central counting station manager, the tabulation supervisor and tabulation assistants.  The appointments are for a two-year term that runs through August 31, 2026. 

Also today, commissioners accepted a bid from Brightengale for a full-color LED outdoor monument sign and cabinet cover at the Washington County Expo.  

Expo Director Harrison Williams said the bid is to replace and re-cover the pedestal and sign at the corner of Blue Bell Road and Old Independence Road.  A total of 13 bids were received from seven different vendors.  The bid from Brightengale for 6mm spacing of the LEDs is for $44,393 and will be paid with hotel occupancy tax reserve funds.

Commissioners also approved an agreement with Brannon Industrial Group to reimburse the company for administrative services it provides during the county’s scrap tire collection event for residential customers.  The rate is for $5 per county resident that participates in the event, which is scheduled for October 12-26.   County Engineer Wesley Stolz estimated the county’s cost will come out to $1,750 for this year, but he noted this is a “conservative” estimate.

At the conclusion of the regular meeting, commissioners went into a public meeting to act as the Pecan Glen Road District and propose the road district’s 2024 property tax rate.  The rate was brought up last week, but County Judge John Durrenberger explained that bylaws require a vote from four members of the road district, and only three were present during the original vote.

The proposed rate is $0.297725 per $100 valuation.  It is listed as the voter-approval rate but is lower than the no-new-revenue rate of $0.308024, as well as the current rate of $0.33407.  The tax is used to support road upgrades within the road district and only pertains to residents in the Pecan Glen subdivision.  Adoption of the rate will be considered on September 10^th. 

In other business, the court:

• Read a proclamation declaring the month of September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Washington County.
• Approved a drainage and construction easement between the county and Cegielski Country Property Trust for a drainage project along Wonder Hill Road in Precinct 2.
• Approved a subdivision variance request for a land division fronting Sandstone Road in Precinct 4, consisting of 71.88 acres.
• Approved a subdivision variance request for a land division fronting Hohenwalde School Road and Highway 290 in Precinct 4, consisting of 5.8 acres.
• Voted to accept Timber Bridge Lane (0.520 miles) and Timber Cove Lane (0.102 miles), located in the Timber Bridge subdivision in Precinct 2, and add them into the county road system.
• Received reports from the sheriff’s office, information technology, county and district clerks, justices of the peace, auditor, tax assessor-collector, treasurer, constables, elections and veterans service officer.