Wichita County is looking for a new county auditor
Wichita County is advertising for the job of county auditor, a post held by Cheryll Jones.
Jones has been a lightning rod for controversy with the county Commissioners Court, the county’s governing board.
In March, commissioners questioned why workers in the March Republican Party primary elections were not paid, a process handled through the Auditor’s Office.
The delay was caused by some elections workers not filing all the necessary paperwork, according to the Auditor’s Office said
Commissioner Mickey Fincannon wanted to order County Treasurer Stephen Jones, Cheryll Jones’ former husband, to pay the workers.
But Stephen Jones said writing checks behind the auditor’s back was illegal.
Cheryll Jones told commissioners, “This court does not have authority to order any disbursement for a claim I have not presented.”
“This court can take action regardless of your thoughts about it whatsoever. And this court will take action regardless of your thoughts,” Commissioner Jeff Watts shot back.
In a later statement to the Times Record News, Cheryll Jones said, “It is clear there are some issues that may need to be adjusted so the citizens of Wichita County who choose to work elections get paid in a timely manner and the County doesn’t break any payroll laws to do so."
She also said by April 2, all but eight workers had been paid.
The Commissioners Court also crossed swords with the auditor and treasurer offices in July 2023 when commissioners learned the county had not paid its federal payroll taxes on time.
Stephen Jones told commissioners errors happened as he was coming into the treasurer's job after winning it in an election.
“This is a very costly mistake. It’s pretty bad when a taxing agency doesn’t pay their taxes," Commissioner Mark Beauchamp said at the time.
The county auditor is not an elected official but is instead selected by the three district court judges in the county. Cheryll Jones’ current term runs through July.
She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Cheryll Jones filled the post in August 2020 when longtime auditor Deb Stevens abruptly left office prior to her resignation date. Stevens' exit came in the wake of a dispute with County Tax Assessor-Collector Tommy Smyth over payment of economic development dollars.
The auditor’s job was posted on the county’s website on Monday and will remain open until it is filled. It pays up to $118,000 annually depending on qualifications.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County is looking for a new county auditor