Howard County Quorum Court Approves Budget Amendments, Joins Red River Intermodal Authority

The Howard County Quorum Court met Monday morning in the courtroom of the Howard County Courthouse.

During the meeting, Justices of the Peace approved an ordinance amending the county budget. The ordinance increases the Howard County Elections Extra Help line item by $900, the Social Security Matching line item by $1,533.05, and the Other Professional Services line item by $2,068.95.

The budget adjustments are funded through reimbursements received from local school districts for conducting the 2026 school elections. Howard County received $343.25 from the Cossatot River School District, $883 from the Dierks School District, $476.50 from the Mineral Springs School District, and $1,899.25 from the Nashville School District.

In addition, the county received a $900 stipend payment from the State Board of Election Commissioners for county election commissioners.

Justices also approved an ordinance authorizing Howard County to join the newly formed Red River Intermodal Authority. Other participating counties include Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, and Sevier. County Judge Brent Pinkerton explained the benefits of joining the organization.

County Treasurer Sheri Mixon reported that revenue from the county’s one-cent sales tax totaled just over $254,000 during the past three months. Mixon also reported that the county’s contingency fund currently has a balance of approximately $2.7 million.