Commissioners weigh payment options after demolition bill exceeds ARPA balance

Haskell County commissioners discussed how to pay a $34,005.75 invoice from American Demolition for work on the county clerk’s office after a commissioner said the clerk’s ARPA account had only $24,322 unencumbered.

A commissioner who raised the bill said, "This bill is $34,005.75," and asked the board for guidance on how to fund it. The board discussed whether the payment could be split across accounts or paid from a single fund and whether to draw change from other program allocations, naming Choctaw Community Partners as an example of a possible offset.

"We need to talk to auditors and then see if we can split that," a commissioner said during a discussion of options. Board members agreed to consult the county auditors to confirm whether the demolition payment could be reallocated across funds or whether the county should remove the item from ARPA and take the balance from general or other available funds.

No formal motion to pay the invoice was recorded during the meeting. The board directed staff to speak with the auditors and bring a recommendation back to the commissioners at the next meeting.