Wood County Treasurer Race

Public Records Concerning Kari Perkins

This page compiles public records and publicly filed documents related to Kari K. Perkins, a candidate for Wood County Treasurer, whose prior employment included service in a taxpayer-funded role within Smith County government.

Purpose: transparency and public accountability.
Method: document-based reporting.
Scope: public records only.

This page will be updated as pending Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) requests are fulfilled.

Why This Page Exists

Candidates for offices that oversee or safeguard public funds are routinely evaluated based on:

• prior taxpayer-funded employment,

• fiscal responsibilities previously held,

• compliance with public-finance and campaign-finance rules.

At this time, Kari Perkins is the only candidate in the Wood County Treasurer race with a documented history of direct employment by county taxpayers. Accordingly, this page is limited to her public employment record and related filings.

No adverse inference is drawn from unanswered questions. Items marked “pending” reflect outstanding public-records requests, not conclusions.

Smith County Budget Office – Public Record Timeline

Until recently, Kari Perkins was employed in the Smith County budget office, a position that involves:

• - preparation and tracking of county budgets,

• - support to Commissioners Court during budget cycles,

• - monitoring fiscal process and compliance.

• During the 2024–2025 budget cycles, Smith County Commissioners Court meetings included public discussion of budget process issues, follow-up requests, and requests for clarification or correction, as reflected in meeting records and correspondence.

• Informal Review of Public Budget Records – Smith County (August 19, 2025)

  The following observations are based on an informal, non-exhaustive review of publicly available Smith County records, including Commissioners Court agenda packets, meeting summaries, and written follow-up correspondence related to the FY2026 budget process.

  This review does not constitute an audit, investigation, or legal determination. It reflects questions and issues raised in the public record during the budget process and documents requests for clarification made by an elected County Commissioner.

  Readers are encouraged to review the source materials linked below and draw their own conclusions.

  1. Timing and Availability of Budget Materials

  According to the August 19, 2025 Commissioners Court materials, concerns were raised regarding limited access to budget drafts prior to court meetings, with updated versions often released only days before scheduled workshops .

  The public record reflects that this timing limited the ability of Commissioners, department heads, and the public to conduct detailed review of proposed expenditures exceeding $121 million.

  2. Departmental Review and Stakeholder Access

  The record reflects concerns that department heads and elected officials were unable to review their own expense sheets until figures were presented during open court sessions .

  These concerns were documented as part of the official Commissioners Court discussion and were not raised privately or outside the public process.

  3. Budget Transparency and Public Access

  Commissioners Court materials indicate that budget documents were not consistently included in public agenda packets, limiting the ability of citizens to engage meaningfully during Budget Workshops .

  This issue was specifically identified as a transparency concern during open court discussion.

  4. Structural and Mathematical Issues Identified During Review

  The August 19, 2025 Budget Workshop materials reflect that mathematical and structural questions were raised during Commissioners Court proceedings, including:

  • A reported negative balance of approximately $2.3 million in the Facilities Improvement Fund;

  • Missing or unclear salary and stipend calculations;

  • Inconsistent figures across successive budget versions.

  These issues were discussed on the record and prompted requests for corrected calculations and clarification .

  5. Written Requests for Clarification Following Court Proceedings

  Following the August 19, 2025 Budget Workshop, Commissioner Christina Drewry submitted a written request for information documenting multiple unresolved budget questions, including:

  • Identification of specific IT line items for A/V support;

  • Corrected calculations for the Facilities Improvement Fund;

  • Salary and reclassification totals for judicial and law-enforcement positions;

  • Capital expense funding sources and reserve-fund usage;

  • Discrepancies in departmental operating budgets.

  This correspondence is part of the public record and reflects follow-up necessitated by unanswered questions during court proceedings .

  6. Subsequent Written Responses and Adjustments

  A written follow-up document reflects that certain figures were later adjusted or clarified, including:

  • Removal of certain Facilities Improvement Fund amounts pending further approval;

  • Salary calculations and reclassification amounts;

  • Addition of part-time funding for specific positions;

  • Clarification regarding capital expenses and upfitting costs.

  These responses indicate that multiple budget items required post-meeting clarification or modification following the August 19 workshop .

  7. Context Reflected in the Public Record

  The August 19, 2025 Commissioners Court materials identify the Smith County Budget Officer at the time as Kari Perkins, noting her role in preparing and presenting the FY2026 proposed budget .

  This page makes no determination regarding performance or intent and notes this context solely as reflected in the public record.

  Source Documents:

  • Smith County Commissioners Court Weekly Update – August 19, 2025

  • August 19, 2025 Commissioners Court Agenda Packet

  • Commissioner Drewry Written Follow-Up Request (Aug. 19, 2025)

  • Commissioners Court Follow-Up Responses (Post-Aug. 19, 2025)

• All documents are publicly available and linked below for independent review.
  Following these discussions, Perkins departed the Smith County budget office, and Smith County has since appointed a replacement.

• No criminal finding or disciplinary order has been issued against Perkins. The records below are presented to reflect what was discussed and documented, not to assert intent or fault.
  Documents

• - Commissioners Court Live – June 17, 2025 (transcript/captions)

• - Commissioners Court Live – August 12, 2025 (transcript/captions)

• - Commissioners Court Live – August 19, 2025 (transcript/captions)

• - Budget Office correspondence and follow-up requests (PDF)

• Transition to Wood County Treasurer Candidacy

• 
  After leaving Smith County employment, Perkins filed as a candidate for Wood County Treasurer, an office responsible for:

  • - custody of county funds,

  • - receipt and disbursement of monies,

  • - maintenance of financial records,

  • - compliance with statutory accounting requirements.

• Because the treasurer’s role is entirely finance-focused, voters may reasonably consider prior public-finance experience and record compliance when evaluating candidates.

• Campaign Finance Filings (As Filed)

• 
  This section reflects what is reported in the campaign filings, without inference.
  Filings Included

  • - Appointment of Campaign Treasurer (CTA)

  • - Candidate/Officeholder Campaign Finance Reports:

  • - January 15, 2026

  • - January 28, 2026

• Contributions Reported by Business Name

• 
  Campaign reports list contributions under the following names:

  • JG Bowen & Associates

  • B & B Private Security, Inc.

• Public business records indicate these names correspond to commercial entities. Whether a contribution is permissible depends on the donor’s legal classification and the manner in which the contribution was made.
  

• Texas Law – Plain Language
  

• Texas Election Code Chapter 253 governs political contributions.
  In general:

  • Corporations and business entities may not make political contributions directly to candidates for public office.

• Political committees (PACs) must be properly registered to make political contributions.

• If a contribution is misreported or impermissible, Texas law provides mechanisms for refunds and corrected filings.

• This page does not determine legality; it provides the filings and records necessary for public evaluation.
  

• Pending Public Information Act Requests
  

• The following records have been requested under the Texas Public Information Act and are pending as of the date of publication:

• Smith County employment records reflecting dates, duties, and separation status

• Smith County budget office job description and scope of authority

• Any ethics or transition documentation related to departure from Smith County employment

• This page will be updated when responsive records are received.
  

• Smith County Budget Records – Official Sources

  The following links direct readers to original Smith County records and streams. All materials are hosted by Smith County or an official county commissioner website. Documents may be downloaded directly from the source sites.

• Smith County Commissioners Court – Agendas & Packets

  Official agendas and supporting documents for Commissioners Court meetings, including budget workshops and budget hearings.

• Smith County Agenda Center (Official):

  • https://www.smith-county.com/AgendaCenter

    Readers may search by date to locate agenda packets for:

    • June 17, 2025 (Budget Workshop)

    • August 12, 2025 (Budget Workshop)

    • August 19, 2025 (Budget Workshop)

    • September 2, 2025 (Budget Hearing)

• Smith County Commissioners Court – Meeting Recordings

  Official video recordings of Commissioners Court meetings.

  Smith County Court Recordings:
  https://www.smith-county.com/285/Commissioners-Court-Agendas

• Commissioner Christina Drewry – Public Meeting Summaries

  Commissioner Drewry publishes weekly updates that include:

  • Agenda packets,

  • Embedded video links,

  • Written summaries of Commissioners Court discussions.

  Commissioner Drewry’s Official Site:
  https://smithcountycommissioner.com/

  Example meeting summary with budget materials:

  • August 19, 2025 Commissioners Court
    https://smithcountycommissioner.com/aug-19-2025-commissioners-court/

• Wood County Treasurer Race – Campaign Finance Filings

  Campaign finance filings are maintained by Wood County as the local filing authority. These records are publicly available and may be downloaded directly from the county’s official site.

• Wood County Campaign Finance Filings (Official):
  Wood County Elections / Campaign Finance

  Documents linked from that page include:

  • Appointment of Campaign Treasurer (CTA)

  • Candidate/Officeholder Campaign Finance Reports

  • Amended or corrected filings, if any

  This page links only to official filing authority records.

• Disclaimer

• This page compiles public records and public filings for informational purposes.

• It does not allege criminal conduct, civil liability, intent, or motive.

• Absence of a document reflects either nonexistence or a pending public-records request, not a conclusion.

• Personal identifiers may be redacted for safety and privacy.

• If you believe a document is missing or mischaracterized, please identify the document by name and date so it may be reviewed.

• No inference is made on this page regarding responsibility, performance, or outcome.

• Last updated: February 2, 2026
  Contact: Accountability2024@icloud.com or 903-305-0152 (please leave a message)