Court receives annual financial audit report
JIMMY APPELT, STAFF WRITER
TRIBUNENEWSROOM@SBCGLOBAL.NET
The Lavaca County Commissioners’
Court met in a regular
meeting Monday morning and
heard the county’s annual financial
report for the fiscal year
ending Sept. 30, 2021.
Certified Public Accountant
Wayne Beyer with Beyer and
Company of Pleasanton presented
the report saying his firm
found nothing in this audit to be
brought to their attention. He
also said all information that
was asked for was provided for
the audit.
Briefly covering the audit report,
Beyer informed the court
of the financial statements for
the various departments in the
county.
“You have excellent employees,”
Beyer said at the close of
his report. “The people in your
departments, I would say are
superior.”
PROCLAMATIONS
The court recognized two
proclamations with the first one
declaring May 1 through May
7 as National Correctional Officer’s
Week in Lavaca County.
County judge pro-tem Dennis
W. Kocian, who presided over
the meeting, read from the proclamation
saying, “Correctional
officers have the difficult and
often dangerous assignment of
ensuring the custody, safety and
well-being of the over 600,000 in
our Nation’s prisons and jails.
Their position is essential to the
day-to-day operations of these
institutions without them it
would be impossible to achieve
the foremost institutional goals
of security and control.”
Sheriff Micah Harmon complimented
his department’s
correctional officers saying, “I
would like to recognize our officers.
The job they do is not the
most glamorous and they do a
great job in the back. We have
some long-tenured employees
and we’re very proud of them.”
The court also recognized
the proclamation declaring this
week, April 24 through May 1
as Soil and Water Stewardship
Week.
GCRPC NOMINEES
The court voted to nominate
County Judge Mark Myers and
County judge pro-tem Dennis
W. Kocian to serve as voting delegates
on the Golden Crescent
Regional Planning Commission.
EMPLOYEE RESIGNATION/
TRANSITION
Addressing an employee
transition, the court approved
the transition of employee number
897 from full-time to parttime
in the OSSF department.
In addition, the court approved
the resignation of Shay
Mertz, a correctional officer
with the Lavaca County Sheriff’s
Office.
MISCELLANEOUS
A managed IT services agreement
between James Teleco of
Cuero and the Lavaca County Auditor’s office was approved
by the court.
County auditor Shana Opela said the services include
network monitoring, patch management, managed antivirus
and malware protection and vendor management
and liaison from the company on there computer system.
Opela said the cost is around $300 per month and a
$150 savings each month to her department.
The court adopted an order authorizing the sale of
fireworks to the public by retail fireworks permit holders
during the Memorial Day holiday period.
The period for allowing sales in the county begins
Wednesday, May 25 and ends at midnight on May 30.
LAVACA COUNTY EMS
The court approved a request from Lavaca County
EMS chief Michael Furrh to continue staffing Medic
3 (Shiner) with funds from the American Rescue Plan
funds.
Furrh also presented the EMS report for March saying
the department had 173 calls for service of which 125
patients were transported.
He said 911 emergency calls for the month was 141
and 28 transfers.
Furrh reported the district response breakdown
showed Hallettsville with 78, Shiner 54 and Moulton 33.
Regarding transport by destination, there were 41
for Lavaca Medical Center; 27 for Yoakum Community
Hospital; 20 for DeTar Victoria; 13 for Victoria Citizens
Medical Center and two for Gonzales Memorial Hospital.
Monthly collections amounted to $91,471.
COUNTY TAX REPORT
County Tax Assessor-Collector Deborah Sevcik reported
that 96.49 percent of the 2021 county taxes were
collected through March leaving an unpaid balance of
$418,101.41.
Sevcik also reported that 96.48 percent of the 2021
Farm Market Road (FMR) taxes have been collected
through March leaving an unpaid balance of $113,525.43.
In other action taken by the court:
•.Approved.all.consent.agenda.items..
County judge pro-tem Dennis W. Kocian presided over
the meeting with commissioners Edward Pustka and
Kenny Siegel present for the meeting.