Commissioners Court

KAUFMAN COUNTY—During the regular meeting of the Kaufman County Commissioners Court held Sept. 10 the fiscal year budget and tax rate were approved. County Judge Jakie Allen held a public hearing during the meeting for anyone to comment on the budget and tax rate to which there were no comments. The tax rate for fiscal year 2024-25 has been set to $0.415113 which was approved and adopted by the court.

Monitor Photo/Di Johnson
State Representative Keith Bell (third from left) delivers a resolution celebrating 175 years of Kaufman County to Commissioner Tommy Moore (from left), Commissioner Skeet Phillips, County Judge Jakie Allen, Commissioner Terry Barber and Commissioner Mike Hunt at the Kaufman County Commissioners’ Court meeting Oct. 10. County officials are dressed in period garb from the start of the county.

HENDERSON COUNTY–Sept. 18, Henderson County Judge Wade McKinney terminated the local state of disaster for wildfires that has been in effect since Aug. 22, the county announced on social media.
Henderson County has experienced just two wildfires in the past seven days, and the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) has fallen substantially, the county continued. The KBDI is maintained by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M Forest Service and is used to determine fire potential.

Google Street View Photo
July 11, Henderson County Commissioners’ Court approved spending no more than $2 million in emergency funding to start fixing problems at the Judicial Complex (shown) and Justice Center, both located in Athens.

Monitor Photo/Denise York
Henderson County Judge Wade McKinney updates chamber members on county accomplishments.

HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County voted Sept. 20 to enter private property and remove brush and dirt on the edge of its right-of-way on Welch Lane in Gun Barrel City for construction of a 20-by-20-foot bridge within the county’s jurisdiction.

HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County voted Sept. 13 to approve giving $1.4 million of the county’s federal COVID relief funding to UT Health East Texas-Athens.
A portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that the county received will go toward a Henderson County COVID-19 Public Health Expenditure Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding with the hospital.
County Grants Coordinator Jessica Brown said the agreement utilizes part of the county’s ARPA funding to assist UT Health with COVID-related medical expenses.

HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County approved lifting the drought-related disaster declaration Aug. 23, which the county has been under since late July.
In addition, according to the county’s official Facebook page, County Judge Wade McKinney followed that by directing County Fire Marshal Shane Renberg that McKinney would lift the countywide burn ban that has been in effect since June 21.

HENDERSON COUNTY–Commissioners’ Court of Henderson County approved a July 26 resolution declaring a local state of disaster because of drought and wildfires, which followed the July 21 emergency disaster declaration issued by County Judge Wade McKinney that was valid for up to seven days without commissioners’ court approval.