Howard County Quorum Court

Howard County’s budget for 2022 was approved at Monday’s quorum court meeting.  Next’s year’s general funds, which are those used to run the offices of county judge, circuit clerk, county clerk, treasurer, sheriff, collector & assessor, will total 2.019 million dollars, which is nearly 26 thousand dollars less than this year’s funding. With all other departments included, the total county budget next year will be nearly 7.3 million dollars.  The budget includes a five percent pay increase for elected officials & employees.  Workers in the road & sanitation departments will receive a slightly larger increase to make them competitive with similar positions in neighboring counties.

Two employees of the assessor’s office will receive a bonus for this year.  Chief Deputy Cindy Butler has been given a 25-hundred-dollar bonus & Alyssa Cupples will receive a 12 hundred 50-dollar bonus for their work in the office due to the ongoing absence of Assessor Debbie Teague for health reasons.  Butler & Cupples are the only employees of the office who have worked there during the entire time Teague has been out.

Representatives of the North Howard Rural Water Association attended yesterday’s meeting.  The group had received 176 thousand dollars of Covid funds from the county earlier this year to repair issues with the system on Dierks Lake Road.  Due to the project having to be rebid, there has been a cost increase in materials, which resulted in the project needing additional funding of 30 thousand dollars.   The request was approved.