Wichita County names new auditor
The three state district judges of Wichita County named a new county auditor Thursday.
They tapped Matt Davis for the job.
Davis is a Wichita Falls native who graduated from Midwestern State University and served as chief deputy in the Auditor's Office from 2011 until 2022. He begins his new job Aug. 26.
"I'm looking forward to taking the reins and getting things where they need to be," Davis said after his appointment was confirmed.
Under Texas law, district court judges appoint auditors for counties with more than 10,200 population.
Auditors have financial oversight for all county offices, and officers and may dictate the accounting procedures for all county officers.
Cheryll Jones has held the post since 2020, but the judges posted the job and solicited applications in April.
During her time in the office, Jones crossed swords with the county’s governing board, the Wichita County Commissioners Court.
In April 2024, angry commissioners demanded to know why some poll workers in the March party primaries had not been paid in a timely fashion.
Jones said the delay was due to incomplete paperwork being received in her office.
Later in April, Wichita County Tax Assessor-Collector Tommy Smyth complained some payments the county owed were 253 days late even though the county had been collecting the taxes since December.
Smyth said dispersal of the money was supposed to go through the County Auditor’s Office to be dispersed by the County Treasurer’s Office.
Jones responded the money was not to be dispersed through her office and that Smyth had not directed any concerns to her.
Both the Auditor’s Office and the County Treasurer’s Office came under scrutiny by commissioners in July 2023 when commissioners learned the county had not paid federal taxes on its employees and had incurred penalties.
Although the state judges choose the auditor, the county pays the salary, which in 2024 was budgeted at $118,000.
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This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County names new auditor