Burn ban lifted; county receives audit

By Chris Edwards
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TYLER COUNTY – On Monday, following a period of “beneficial rainfall” across Tyler County, Tyler County Judge Milton Powers lifted the countywide burn ban.

Powers said that the county’s emergency management officials had been examining rainfall on a day-to-day basis. The county had been under a burn ban since the Commissioners Court ratified one on Oct. 23, after Judge Powers issued it six days’ prior.

The ban was initially issued in the summer during a period of extreme drought conditions, and briefly lifted.

The last reinstatement of the ban came after some rainfall, but was issued due to continuing drought conditions and an increase in winds, as well as lowered humidity.

Powers said that all citizens who are burning need to exercise caution and take all necessary precautions while burning.

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In other county business, during Monday morning’s meeting of the Tyler County Commissioners Court, the county received the results of its annual outside audit.

Darla Belt Dear, with Belt, Harris, Pecachek, LLLP, presented the overview of the audit.

Dear said that the county received an unmodified opinion, which is the highest level of assurance issued on a governmental entity audit. The opinion means that “no material misstatements were made and all disclosures have been made,” Dear said.

The total revenues for the county during the 2022 fiscal year were $10.1 million, and the county’s ledger showed $9.1 million in expenditures, with a net change just over $516k.

Dear pointed out that the ending fund balance of $6,976,676 was “nice and healthy,” and that the recommendation from auditors is for an entity to keep at least 25%, or three months’ worth of expenditures within their fund balances. Tyler County is sitting on 71% in its general fund balance, she said.