Commissioners press sheriff over $962,150 in inmate‑housing invoices; item tabled after executive session

County commissioners confronted Sheriff Joseph Godbaker on March 13 after the county discovered $962,150 in unpaid invoices for inmates housed outside Jim Wells County, and the court tabled action after an executive session.

County Judge opened discussion by telling the court that unpaid invoices from Maverick County for inmate housing totaled $962,150 and warned that, because the overage was not brought to the court’s attention in time, "the county now faces ... carrying over $962,150 into the new budget," a burden that could affect the county’s fund balance and borrowing plans.

Sheriff Joseph Godbaker responded that the county did not "lose any money as a result of this situation" and said the inmates were housed out of county "by necessity" under legal and operational constraints. He told commissioners the unpaid bills resulted from an internal administrative routing issue that has since been corrected and said the county must consider broader capacity solutions: building local jail capacity or continuing to house inmates out of county.

Commissioners sharply questioned the sheriff’s office oversight. One commissioner said the sheriff had "failed leadership and failed fiscal accountability," arguing the sheriff did not timely submit invoices to the auditor’s office for processing and that months of invoices went unreported. The sheriff acknowledged the administrative error and said he had implemented steps to prevent a recurrence but disputed characterizations that the county paid more than required, saying the bills were legitimate and that out‑of‑county housing costs were driven by capacity shortfalls and court orders.

The sheriff estimated the 2026 housing cost would be "closer to $1,800,000" versus an originally budgeted $600,000, underscoring the scale of the county’s exposure if current trends continue. Commissioners and the sheriff agreed a jail needs assessment would present options and numbers for the court to consider; the sheriff noted a consultant had been placed on a future agenda to provide an assessment, and the court indicated it would rely on that report for decisions.

The court recessed to executive session under Texas Government Code §551.074 (personnel matters) and, on return to open session, voted to table payment of the invoices and related decision items pending additional review and forthcoming assessments.

What’s next: The court tabled the matter for follow‑up; commissioners said they will review the jail needs assessment and additional information before taking formal action on payment timing and budget adjustments.