By Ray King

With one member of the county’s legislative body absent, the Justices of the Peace on Wednesday voted to table a proposed ordinance calling for spending money from the American Rescue Plan on special projects and construction in progress.

After the meeting, Ted Harden, chairman of the Finance Committee, explained the court’s actions.

According to a letter from County Judge Gerald Robison to Harden dated Jan. 18,, just over $273,000 was to be transferred from American Rescue plan Revenue to special projects and another $182m795 transferred from Count Reserve funds to construction in progress. Several invoices from Reynolds Construction Co., were attached to the proposed ordinance and listed work at the juvenile court including flooring, lighting, HVAC (heating and air conditioning, painting and plaster work.

A proposed ordinance outlining and adopting policies and procedures for the Quorum Court for the next two years were discussed at length before a vote to send the ordinance to the full court next week for a final vote. Between now and them, the justices of the peace will used policies and procedures adopted for the 2021 and 2022 calendar years.

The ordinance was initially discussed in January and at that time a majority of the justices voted to send the ordinance to the judicial committee for review. County Judge Gerald Robinson designated the Human Resources Committee for discussion on the ordinance in January and on Wednesday, it was back before that committee.

Harden was asked about that ordinance and said this.

Justice of the Peace Danny Holcomb, chairman of the committee said during the committee meeting that the issue was a dispute between Robinson and some members of the Quorum Court over who has the right to decide what committee proposed legislation is sent to.