Dateline: October 31, 2002

State awards $185k for  courthouse project

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Senator Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls) announced Tuesday afternoon that Donley County has been awarded an additional $185,000 from the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to help complete the restoration of the 1890 Courthouse.

Local officials are pleased with the new award and say it may be able to use the money to reduce some of the county’s debt burden on the project.

“We’re planning to go back and review our finances and see where we stand,” said County Judge Jack Hall. “It is possible that this additional money could be used for debt reduction.”

The county’s restoration project hit a roadblock earlier this spring when it was discovered that 110-year-old bricks concealed behind a metal cornice had deteriorated beyond ordinary repair. The supplemental THC grant will go toward the expense of rebuilding that area.

“I know that Donley County is extremely grateful for this supplemental THC assistance,” Sen. Estes said. “This funding will allow the county to properly complete the restoration of this remarkable, distinguished courthouse so that it will be able to stand and serve the public for yet another 110 years.”

Donley County had requested additional funds from the THC two months ago to help with the unforeseen expense of the brick repair.

“The THC sent notice in August saying that it was making $200,000 available in supplemental funding,” said grant administrator John Kiehl with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission. “We requested $165,000, which would have covered about 60 percent of what the brick repairs would be.”

With only $200,000 available, county officials privately hoped they would get at least $40,000. There was no guarantee the county would receive anything, and so the county issued another $350,000 in tax notes to finish the project.

“The project was about to come to a standstill (in September), which necessitated issuing additional tax notes,” Kiehl said.

But the THC surprised county officials and awarded more than they requested.

“Once we got the letters and saw how much was needed, we increased the funding,” said the THC’s Stan Graves. “We awarded $746,443 in supplemental funds.”

Donley County’s award of $185,000 was the second highest of the five counties which were funded. Red River County was the highest, receiving $374,443.

“If we knew then what we know now, the county would not have had to borrow that much money,” Kiehl said. “There is nothing to prevent the county from paying that money back early.”

Kiehl said the county intends to refinance the entire project in one year. Paying back early a substantial part of what was borrowed will help reduce the county’s annual payments.

The new supplemental grant requires a 15 percent match, but county officials say they already have that covered with donations from successful fundraising over the last year.

The new award brings the amount of state funds contributed to the project to a total of $3.13 million. Donations to the project as of Tuesday amounted to $145,294; and everything donated since April 12 goes toward a matching grant, which brings the total to $155,424. Other non-taxpayer money has come from the Courthouse Security Fund, which is generated by county fees and fines. Funds from that source in the amount of $52,800 have been used to pay for line items directly related to the security of the courthouse.

The total funds of the project not paid for by local tax dollars is $3.334 million. Tax notes to be paid for by local tax dollars currently amount to $900,000.

“This is really a sweet deal for Donley County,” Kiehl said. “Other counties are having to mortgage themselves for 20 years to fix their courthouses. Donley County will have theirs paid off within eight or nine years of the project completion, and that’s commendable.”

Kiehl said replacing the courthouse with another building of comparable size could not be done for $900,000 and any new building would not have the character of the 1890 structure.

“The county is going to have a really unique asset,” he said.