County adds $45K to fund for indigents' health care
By BARRY HALVORSON news@leader-news.com

A budget adjustment that will allow Wharton County to cover its indigent health care costs was approved by the county commissioners court as they started wrapping up calendar year 2007.

The commissioners approved moving $45,000 from the remaining county contingency fund to the indigent health program on the recommendation of County Treasurer Donna Kocurek.

She told the court the program was overdrawn by $38,036, had another $4,600 in bills coming due and had remaining bills still pending.

County Auditor Sharon Boedeker said the funds should be available. She explained the county had initially hoped to make the final payment for the courthouse restoration from the contingency fund, but that with questions remaining concerning the final punch list for the project the county should wait to make the payment.

Boedeker added that in 2007, the county did not budget the recommended amount for indigent health care which resulted in the shortfall. She said that situation had been corrected in the 2008 budget.

In another indigent health care item, commissioners approved authorizing County Judge John Murrile to sign a contract for prescription drugs for the program with H-E-B. The drugs would be provided at a discounted price and would be available through both the Wharton and El Campo H-E-B locations.

In other actions, the commissioners approved renewing ing the county's insurance policies for official professional liability and property coverage for 2008 with two exceptions.

Appearing before the court, 329th District Court Judge Randy Clapp said that as a state employee, the TAC liability does not cover all of his administrative duties. He said that TAC offers an option in its policy, priced at $1,362 that would cover his county related duties, but not his state required administrative work.

The Texas Lawyer Insurance Exchange offers a policy that would cover both his state and county responsibilities for $1,500, Clapp added. The commissioners approved the additional coverage and also indicated they would pay the additional TAC option to provide administrative coverage for District Attorney Josh McCown.

The commissioners also set the time, date and meeting place for 2008. They opted for the same schedule of meeting the second and fourth Monday of each month starting at 9:30 a.m. in the commissioners courtroom in the Wharton County Courthouse Annex Building, 309 E. Milam in Wharton.