Thursday, December 5, 2024
The Hood Central Appraisal District authorized the return of $294,429 of excess funds to the taxing entities during its regularly scheduled meeting Oct. 16.
A document from HCAD’s meeting last week reveals the organization ended the 2023 fiscal year with excess funds that surpassed its expected budgetary needs. The excess funds resulted from various factors such as cost savings, lower than expected revenues, or underspending in certain budget areas.
The board engaged in an open discussion to evaluate the best course of action to handle the excess funds — ultimately voting to return the funds back to the taxing entities.
According to Hood County Judge Ron Massingill, Chief Appraiser Jeff Law delivered a check to the county Oct. 21 in the amount of $69,773.
“I delivered the check to both the auditor and to the treasurer,” Massingill said. “We received another check that was much larger than this for excess funds for the five previous years.”
During a Hood County Commissioners Court meeting Oct. 22, Precinct 2 Commissioner Nannette Samuelson confirmed to the public that Granbury Independent School District also received a return of $187,000, as the district represents a significant portion of local tax revenue.
After the discussion, resident Tina Brown inquired about how the county plans to utilize its portion of the funds.
“It hasn't been decided yet, but there’s plenty of uses for it, I'll tell you that,” Massingill told her. “I don’t know, but it’s in a fund. We had to get the money first, so we just got the money, and we will be deciding that in future commissioner courts.”
HCAD has faced scrutiny in recent months over its financial management and past expenditures, with many taxing entities considering a forensic audit for the district.
The Hood County Commissioners Court, Granbury City Council and Tolar City Council each passed resolutions urging HCAD to undergo a forensic audit of the prior five fiscal years. The GISD board voted to suspend the resolution for an audit indefinitely due to cost concerns, while Lipan ISD chose to refrain from taking any action.
In a similar move, Hood County and the cities of Granbury and Tolar have also recently chosen to disapprove HCAD’s 2025 budget, citing concerns over excessive spending, lack of transparency and over-budgeting.
Hood County’s resolution also requested that excess surplus and reserve funds be returned to the taxing entities, and to refund monies paid for unapproved ventures that may be identified in a forensic audit of the prior five years of HCAD expenditures.
In contrast, the GISD board approved HCAD’s 2025 budget with a 3:2 vote — reflecting differing views among local entities.
As this situation continues to unfold, local officials continue to emphasize the importance of accountability and transparency in managing taxpayer funds.
