GROVETON — The Trinity County Commissioners Court approved moving funds collected for scholarships offered by the Sheriff’s Office into a different account to comply with state mandates on fundraising.
At the May 12 meeting, $49,000 was transferred to a new Trinity County Youth Outreach and Scholarship Foundation account, and the original account managed by the Sheriff’s Office was closed.
At issue was county officials taking and managing donations; the county and Sheriff Woody Wallace will now create a nonprofit organization to be steward to scholarship funds.
Commissioner Neal Smith said that he wanted to see those funds handled correctly, which had not been done in the past.
Even though he agreed to the change, Wallace said he was following direction from outside auditors in creating the original account, and that the Commissioners Court approved that.
“In 2022, the outside auditors presented how they wanted this done, and we did that, and you all approved it,” he said. “Everything was on board and done right, according to the authors. So what changed between now and then? I don't know. But this was done and you all approved it already. So when you say it wasn't done right, it was done according to the way you wanted it done. But it's over with. It's done and it's removed. It's no big deal. But I'm just saying it was approved in this court.”
Smith said he did not remember that particular vote, but told Wallace that any money coming into the county has to be approved by the court, and the court has never approved those donations.
“Every one of my reports have had that information, but this is over with,” Wallace said. “The money has been moved.”
In other business, the court:
