The Lampasas County Commissioners Court last week voted to give county employees the option of having their paychecks deposited directly into their bank accounts through electronic transactions.

The automatic deposit option could cost the county about $750 annually, County Auditor Jack Clark said, although he noted the fee might be lower if not all county employees decide to receive a direct deposit. In addition to a processing fee, each biweekly pay period the county will be charged 25 cents for every employee who is paid through direct deposit.

Department heads, or their designated representatives, will distribute paychecks to employees who decide not to be paid via electronic deposit.

The new payment option is intended to prevent liabilities that could arise if the county treasurer or treasurer's deputy deposits checks for employees. In the past, some workers who live outside of Lampasas have requested that the treasurer deposit their checks for them, Clark said.

In another matter, the Commissioners Court voted 4-0, with Precinct 1 Commissioner Robert Vincent abstaining, to approve the Lampasas Central Appraisal District's proposed 2009/2010 budget. The budget of $429,299 -- which includes $8,826 in salary increases among the appraisal district's six employees -- is set to increase from the current fiscal year's budget of $411,973.

In other business, the Commissioners Court unanimously approved a resolution to allow the Lampasas County Sheriff's Department to apply for a Major Crimes Assistance Unit grant. The county's portion of the grant, which has been shared with the city of Lampasas for the last several years, pays for an investigator's salary and equipment.

In another matter, Clark told commissioners he could transfer each precinct's unspent Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to the 2009/2010 budget year, which will begin Oct. 1.

Precinct 1 has $18,945 remaining -- although not all labor costs for FEMA work have been paid -- and Precinct 2 still has $3,797. Precinct 3 has $55,159 from FEMA that has not been spent, and Precinct 4 has $11,551 in unspent funds.

The Commissioners Court discussed the matter further at a public hearing on Thursday but has not decided whether to designate the funds for specific expenditures.

Commissioners also may organize a workshop session within the next few weeks to discuss whether to buy an asphalt distributor. The county's proposed 2009/ 2010 budget includes $175,000 for a distributor purchase.