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1. Who pays our bills?

According to the state laws that govern County finances, all requests for payment from the County must be presented to the County Auditor. The County Auditor is to see that all laws regarding County finances have been complied with before a bill is paid. This means that we check all bills to see that they are for legal purchases, that they are within budget, that all purchasing policies have been followed and that they are authorized by the appropriate elected official or department head.

2. How often does the County pay its bills?

Our Accounts Payable Department works on a weekly cycle. Checks are processed each Tuesday after the bills are approved by the Commissioners Court. We currently process between 300 and 400 checks each week. After the checks are processed in the County Auditor’s office, they are transferred to the County Treasurer who is the legal disbursing officer of the County.

3. What is the necessary information I have to provide to get a bill approved?

As mentioned above, the County Auditor’s office must thoroughly review all invoices before they can be processed for payment. For payment for goods, we need to see that the invoice was initiated by a valid purchase order. We also need to know the department and account number to charge the payment to. We need to see that there is a sufficient budget in the line item to cover the charges. And finally, we need departmental authorization (a signed receiving record) in order to be certain that the invoice is ready to be processed.

4. How long does it take to get a bill paid by the County?

Our office operates under the Prompt Payment Act which is a state law that requires us to pay our bills within 30 days of receiving a valid invoice. Unless there is a problem with a bill, we almost always meet this deadline. In order to compile the paperwork, review the charges, enter the information on the computer and prepare a report of bills early enough for the Commissioners Court to review, we need a minimum of 10 days from the time we receive an invoice until the check is cut. We always make every effort to process payments to reimburse employees for expenses as quickly as possible.

5. What happens if a bill gets lost in one of our offices?

According to our policies, all invoices should be mailed directly to the County Auditor. However, in practice many vendors deliver their invoice to the department that receives the merchandise. Bills often get misplaced or lost in transit from office to office. When this happens, the Accounts Payable department of the County Auditor’s office needs to be informed. We can then contact the vendor for a copy of the missing document.

6. Who do I talk to if I have a problem getting a bill paid?

There are currently five people working in the Accounts Payable department. Gwenn McKeehan is the Accounts Payable supervisor. The phone number for Accounts Payable is 940-349-3120. Gwenn or any member of the Accounts Payable staff will be glad to work with you in resolving any problems you have.