Union County tables decision on reimbursing Lake Butler for shared traffic-signal maintenance

The Union County Board of County Commissioners on Monday deferred a decision on whether to reimburse the city of Lake Butler for recent traffic-signal maintenance after staff and commissioners identified gaps in documentation and questions about which fiscal year and funding sources apply.

Coordinator Williams told the board that Lake Butler has submitted invoices for third-party maintenance at a shared intersection and is seeking reimbursement. The agenda listed two invoice amounts for traffic-signal maintenance — $9,596.31 and $1,269.08 — and staff later noted the city submitted invoices totaling $9,850.11 for work in the current fiscal year.

The board discussed that the intersection is shared: one approach is in the city’s zone north of State Road 100 and the other falls under county responsibility to the south. Commissioners said dispatch historically called the city for emergency repairs, creating informal responses without a clear interlocal agreement.

The clerk and coordinator advised that DOT funding for signal maintenance flows to the county; one staff member said the county’s DOT funding allocation for the intersection was $4,145 for FY25–26 and that the books for FY24–25 are closed for budget amendments, though transactions can still post. Commissioners noted invoices cover two fiscal years (FY24–25 and FY25–26), which complicates reimbursement and accounting.

Officials agreed more research is needed: staff should locate any interlocal agreement, compile the city’s invoices, and clarify whether retroactive reimbursement from DOT funds is feasible. The board gave staff direction to communicate with the city and tabled the item until the next meeting.

No final payment or interlocal agreement was authorized at the meeting; the board directed staff to provide detailed invoice and agreement records for further consideration.