At its March 29 meeting, the Hays County Commissioners Court accepted the financial report for the 2021 fiscal year and approved a preliminary budget calendar for the fiscal year 2023.
The report details the financial activities of the court, including total expenses organized by functional category, net investments, revenue and cash on hand. An independent financial advising company conducted an audit over the last few months to check for any issues with reporting.
In a presentation to the court, Audit Senior Manager Jeremy Barbatto said that there were little to no deficiencies in each section of the report.
“If there was any material weakness or significant deficiencies over the financial repo reporting, we’re required to list it here, and we had none of those,” Barbatto said. “Any non-compliance in the financial statements or any internal controls over the major programs for the state and single audit, or any material weakness and significant deficiencies related to those internal controls, we had none.”
For the past seven years, the Hays County Commissioners Court has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Barbatto said he is confident the Court will receive this recognition again.
The court later discussed and approved a preliminary budget calendar for the 2023 fiscal year.
During the discussion, the court brought up the need to establish a budget office due to the population of Hays County reaching over 225,000. Under local government code, it must now operate under a new sub-chapter that requires it to meet a new level of standards. Funding for this office was set aside during the 2022 budget process but has yet to be established.
The budget office will be made up of a director and a few staff members who work with the auditor’s office to keep track of the county budget and finances.
Hays County Human Resources Director Shari Miller said that she is researching how other similarly-sized budget offices function now, and she will present recommendations for each position by April 12.
“I’ve just began really digging into the counties that we benchmark against, and I anticipate using other counties as well. Most are stand-alone departments that may also handle other finance functions,” Miller said. “And so usually, [they have] an officer or a director and one or two staff members, with the exception of much larger counties. They’re going to have a much larger staff.”
Budget workshops and public hearings will also take place in August and September to hear public input on spending for the upcoming fiscal year.
The court also authorized the Hays County Office of Emergency Services to use over $6,000 of American Rescue Plan Funding to purchase a six-bay radio charger and upgrade 16 handheld radios.
The money was designated by the courts months ago to be used in this specific department. Other American Rescue Plan funding was set aside for direct individual initiatives, such as rental assistance and improving food security.
Judge Ruben Becerra expressed confidence that the money was being used in the correct manner.
“All of the funds that are federally millions that are federally funded to our county, are very, very closely monitored, and we can’t move a dollar in the opposite direction of what treasury intended its use to be,” Becerra said. “And we just have a magnificent report about how our auditors, gatekeepers, are helping to make sure that they use the money as intended.”
The court also approved a motion to repair signage at its elections building and a motion to rent a track to transport election equipment.
For more information on the Hays County Commissioners Court, visit its website.