The $6.4 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission to renovate the Freestone County Courthouse will require the execution of funding and easement agreements.
The Freestone County Commissioners Court tabled those matters at its Wednesday, April 2, meeting. The agreements must first be reviewed by the architect overseeing the renovation plans, Judge Linda R. Grant said.
Grant noted that the agreements will require that the county seek approval from the THC for any maintenance or changes that might occur to the courthouse after its renovation. “Even the color and type of paint must be approved,” she said.
The grant, which was announced at the court’s Feb. 5 meeting, will be used to restore the courthouse to its 1921 appearance inside and out. Modern features such as air conditioning and elevators added since the courthouse’s building must conform within the original structure’s design.
The county’s match for the grant is 12 percent or $859,928. The usual match for the grant is 15 percent, but the county was given credit for the 200,000 it spent on architect and application fees.
In other action, the court:
• Discussed the board that oversees the dispatch operation of the Sheriff’s Department. Precinct 4 Commissioner Clyde Ridge said he believes the board should be disbanded. “The sheriff should discipline his employees, not a board,” he said. Ridge said the board also meets too infrequently. County officials say the board was formed to review complaints for transparency’s sake. Six law enforcement officers and Sheriff Jeremy Shipley.
• Learned from a Public Power Pool representative that the county’s power bill will likely increase by about 12.4 percent in fiscal year 2026.
• Approved replats in Precinct 1 for land tracts in Acosta Sur and Palacious Sur.
• Approved purchasing a printer and maintenance package for Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 for $878 and $11 per month.
• Approved observation of County Government Month in April.
• Declined to enact a burn ban.
