Controversy: Commissioners Court orders treasurer to pay Republican election workers

Controversy erupted at Tuesday’s meeting of the Wichita County Commissioners as the panel again questioned reasons for late payment to some election workers in the March 5 party primaries.

The Democratic Party paid its workers directly while the Republican Party contracted with the county to pay its workers. The Republican workers have yet to be paid.

At a meeting March 26, the commissioners heard from Assistant County Auditor Cory Liner that pay was delayed for all the Republican workers because some of them had not completed paperwork required by County Auditor Cheryll Jones' office.

That did not sit well with the commissioners, so on Tuesday, they considered a motion by Commissioner Mickey Fincannon to order the county treasurer to pay all those election workers by April 5.

“I want to have a court order saying we’re paying these people this week,” Fincannon said.

Treasurer Stephen Jones said he doesn’t have the authority to write checks.

“Trying to order me to write a check and pay somebody behind the auditor’s back is illegal,” Stephen Jones, who is Cheryll Jones' ex-husband, said.

He said he had talked to an attorney with the Texas Ethics Commission.

That brought a response from Commissioner Jeff Watts.

“We don’t wait on you to decide you like it or don’t like it or you’re going to call the Ethics Commission before we take action,” Jeff Watts said. “When this court takes action, we order.”

“This court does not have authority to order any disbursement for a claim I have not presented,” Cheryll Jones said.

“Oh, yes, ma’am, it does. I beg to differ,” Watts shot back. “This court can take action regardless of your thoughts about it whatsoever. And this court will take action regardless of your thoughts.”

Liner said the Auditor's Office still lacks documentation on eight workers out of 116.

Watts asked if that meant the others wouldn’t be paid.

“No, I’m going to concede the point and pay everyone we can pay,” Cheryll Jones said.

She said most of the workers would be paid Friday.

Much of the lengthy discussion on election pay dealt with what is required by law and what is the policy of the Auditor’s Office.

Commissioner Mark Beauchamp took exception to the attitudes he perceived were coming from the auditor’s and treasurer’s offices.

“The disrespect that’s coming from members of this audience toward this court is ridiculous. I’m looking back at the tape from last week and watched how we were talked down to and totally disrespected," Beauchamp said. “You, Cory, were way out of line.”

“I agree. I followed suit,” Liner replied.

“Your little smart aleck comment is uncalled for,” Beauchamp replied. “We are the court. We have the right to ask questions, to question any action that comes before this court. We were totally disrespected last week."

The county auditor is appointed by the district judges in the county while the treasurer is an elected official.

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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County officials order treasurer to pay Republican workers