Liberty County Commissioners Court held two meetings on Tuesday, May 27, tackling a full agenda of routine and important matters. The 9 a.m. session included the approval of a key real estate acquisition and the acceptance of a $1 million offer on a long-troubled property in Dayton.
Commissioners approved the purchase of the old Tarver Abstract Building, located at 400 Main Street across from the Liberty County Courthouse. The three-story structure, acquired for approximately $760,000, will be used to consolidate county departments currently operating out of rented or cramped spaces. Potential new tenants include the vital and public records division of the County Clerk’s Office and the County Auditor’s Office. Their relocation would free up space inside the courthouse for either the County Attorney or District Attorney’s offices, both of which have outgrown their current offices. The building also features a drive-through window, which could potentially be repurposed.
In a separate action, the court accepted a $1 million cash offer from Daniel Groves for a roughly five-acre property along SH 146 south of Dayton. The land, long considered an eyesore due to unfinished metal structures and years of neglect, was tangled in legal disputes and tax liens. Attorney Mike Fielder, who manages tax sale properties for the county, emphasized the significance of finally securing a clean deal.
“Finally, we had someone in Chambers County who made a clean offer of $1 million,” said Fielder. “He doesn’t want an inspection. He’ll take it in whatever condition it is in.”
The deal includes an unusual element: a real estate agent who had recently listed the property is due a $40,000 commission. A tax lender involved with the property agreed to pay $31,000 of that, while Liberty County and other taxing entities will cover the remaining $9,000. Final approval may still be required from other involved entities.
The Tuesday morning meeting opened with public comments from Maria Acevedo, a resident of Spring, Texas, and former Colony Ridge property owner. Acevedo voiced concerns over roads in the Colony Ridge subdivisions being made of rolled concrete and questioned the handling of property she claimed had been designated for public use but was later reclaimed by the Municipal Management District (MMD). She called on commissioners to investigate the matter and raised concerns about long-term road maintenance costs for the roads falling to county taxpayers.
“Long story short, just like you guys annexed the roads, de-annex them… we knew the roads were no good,” Acevedo said.
In other business, commissioners debated—but ultimately tabled—a proposal to increase the salary of the county judge by approximately 10 percent. Pct. 3 Commissioner David Whitmire argued that any raise for the judge should be matched by increases for commissioners, while Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur suggested any adjustments should reflect the same cost-of-living increases applied to other county employees.
Pct. 4 Commissioner Gerald Kolarik asked how current salaries compare to other similarly-sized counties. Liberty County Auditor Dwayne Gott responded that Liberty County’s salaries are in line with peer counties. County Judge Jay Knight noted that his current salary is lower than those in neighboring counties such as Chambers, Montgomery, and Harris.
Commissioners opted to table the salary discussion for further review.
At the second meeting of the day, held at 3 p.m., commissioners voted to bring in White Construction to evaluate all necessary repairs at the Liberty County Jail. White Construction, a firm with prior project experience in the county, will work closely with the Texas Jail Commission to ensure that any repair work meets inspection standards. The decision to hire the firm followed tours of the jail around noon Tuesday by commissioners and other county officials. The jail has failed to meet Jail Commission standards during recent inspections, prompting the need for immediate and coordinated action.
In other business at the 9 a.m. meeting, commissioners approved the renewal and upgrade of GIS mapping software that was originally purchased by the elections office for redistricting. County Clerk Lee Chambers highlighted that the software could be used by her office, which is now in charge of elections, to map the county for elections.
Commissioners also amended a contract between the county and Young County to provide space for jail inmates while the county jail deals with repairs. The amended contract allows medical care and other services to be provided by Young County.
Commissioners denied a request from Colony Ridge to accept roads in the Santa Fe Subdivision, Section 14, until some deficiencies were addressed. Once these problems are resolved, they will reconsider the request at a future meeting.
Commissioners also approved the purchase of 13 new law enforcement vehicles in the amount of $917,995.65, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill that was meant to aid in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liberty County Commissioners Court meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month, at 9 a.m., in the Liberty County Court at Law courtroom on the second floor of the county courthouse in Liberty. Meetings are open to the public.
The county judge doesn’t deserve a raise. The fire marshal he appointed is under indictment. He neglected the jails. The good old boy system in Liberty County needs purging.
Why should liberty county taxpayers be responsible for anything that goes on at colony ridge ! Trey Harris and the judges and county commissioner’s that were involved in letting this drug cartel and gang members and illegals move in and take over should be held responsible and sent to prison they own 33,000 acres drug cartel money and our officials knew it not one stick of rebar in the whole subdivision roads! We live in Tarkington we hear gunshots all the time and explosions coming from colony ridge clean it up before it’s too late!
ANOTHER RAISE FOR NOT TAKING CARE OF THE ROADS OR ANYTHING ELSE IN LIBERTY COUNTY? THEY WILL NOT GET MY VOTES AND I HOPE THEY ALL HAVE OPPONETS COME ELECTION. THEY HAVE ALLOWED OUR COUNTY TO DECLINE WITH THEIR BAD JUDGEMENTS AND NOW THEY WANT ANOTHER RAISE. AND MR. WHITMIRE REALLY HAS THE NERVE.
The county road around Kenefick are in terrible condition, I bet they have spent a million dollars on that cheap chip rock to just cover up the roads. They damn well know that the first rain that comes along with the oversized garbage trucks that coating is torn up.
The county crews can’t fix anything level when they spread asphalt, or when they attempt to. never mind trying to get culverts and ditches cleaned out
So where is Tarver moving to?
So I think that they need to have cognitive test done an these county commisioners. Whitmire has been indicted on three charges. And he comes up the great idea that the judge and and all the commisioners get a 10 percent raise.
Why can’t the taxpayers vote on raises?
So we’re back to buying real estate to consolidate county offices? Wasn’t that the same line of B.S. we got about buying the old Walmart? Then they sold it at a lost after they let it get stripped by vandals. As for raises, give them the same as I got on my Social Security, nearly 3%. After that was taxed I actually got 2.23%, so give them the 2.23% and call it good! I’m not even going to comment on Colony Ridge.
Vote them out, or Recall!
And our property taxes just continue to rise with no representation or a care in the world. “Let’s give ourselves a raise, build a dog shelter, cry about repairs on a jail that was poorly managed” A judicial system that resembles a revolving door for multi convicted criminals, low to no bond, insufficient patrols and responses to repeated crime areas. Corrupt deals with sanctuary community Colony Ridge….the list is almost endless. WE THE PEOPLE need change!