The Hockley County Commissioners’ Court held a regular meeting on Monday to approve multiple Hockley County Sheriff’s Office agenda items.
The court approved three items for the Hockley County Sherriff’s Office to purchase vehicles through TIPS USA purchasing.
The first two vehicles approved for purchase at the meeting, two 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe PPV patrol vehicles, are to be covered by insurance payoffs from totaled vehicles, Sheriff Ray Scifres said.
The other patrol vehicles approved for purchase were two Chevrolet Silverado 1500 PPVs.
The court also approved the purchase of a 2024 Chevrolet Express 3500 Passenger Van LS for the jail.
The agenda item stated that the purchase would be with Senate Bill 22 funds, which provides rural law enforcement grants.
Scifres said the old transport van was reaching mileage capacity and went down while being used.
He said the new van would cost around $60,000, and they have enough funds with the SB 22 grant to cover the cost as an allowed expenditure.
The 2024 Inmate Formulary was presented by Cara Phelan and approved by the court.
Cara Phelan said she initiated a formulary to fulfill requirements for an inmate program grant.
After comparing the county’s formulary with Lubbock’s formulary sent to her by StarCare, she said they decided to go with what they sent her.
The same prescriptions are approved in the formulary.
“If there is a medication that is needed, all they have to do is give me a call,” Phelan said, “and we’ll make it work.”
The court renewed the Group Retiree Health Care Program for 2025.
The Rx went up 2.2% in the renewal, which is equal to about a $6 increase, the court was told.
The court also approved and accepted the 2023 audit from CMMS CPAs and Advisors PLLC.
Thee audit manager presenting the report said Hockley County was given an unqualified opinion on their financial statement, meaning the financial statements in the report were correct.
Internal control and compliance reports from the audit help the county in receiving funds from federal and state agencies by showing that they use funds appropriately, he said.
After the audit, the court approved to allow the county’s District Attorney to use the D.A.’s forfeiture account to pay expenses for The State of Texas v. Robert Garza.
A speaker at the meeting said some expenses were incurred before the grant for the case applied in September 2023.
$9,687.18 was recognized as disallowed costs and it needed to be reimbursed back to the state, she said.
The court also approved to allow the D.A. to pay an invoice with its forfeiture account.
The invoice was $14,400 by attorney Wade Jackson for services in The State of Texas v. Jeremy Atchison.
District Attorney Angela Overman said she was asking to pay for Jackson’s involvement in the trial on issues of appeal.
Overman said the forfeiture account looks like it should be replenished in October from possible vehicle and property auctions.
The court approved Ad Valorem tax refunds and August fire runs submitted by the city of Levelland.
Monthly reports from multiple Hockley County offices were approved, as well as all submitted monthly bills and claims dated through Monday.
Minutes for the court’s regular meeting held Sep. 9 were approved by the court as well and are available on the Hockley County website.