Kinney County commissioners have called for the removal of Auditor Cheryll Jones following allegations of mismanagement and misconduct. This isn’t the first controversy Jones has faced as a county official, and her appointment—handled in part by her partner, who reviewed applications for the position—is drawing scrutiny.
Questions over Jones’ appointment and compensation arose soon after she assumed the auditor role.
On October 8, 2024, 63rd District Court Judge Roland Andrade appointed her to the position for a two-year term. Applications had been submitted through Val Verde County Auditor Matthew Weingardt—whom Jones was dating and has since married.
Controversy intensified in January 2025, when Judge Andrade held a public hearing to discuss increasing Jones’ salary from $56,304.22 to $75,000. The proposal was met with opposition from several county employees, though it was ultimately approved by Andrade.
Five months after Jones’ appointment, the Kinney County Commissioners Court released a letter unanimously declaring that “Ms. Jones has abused the discretion of her office and no longer has the confidence of this Court to perform those duties of county auditor.”
Highlighted in the letter are Jones’ alleged failures to maintain financial stability and promptly pay lawful expenses as required by the Prompt Payment Act.
“The books and financial reports have not been balanced nor examined as required by law,” reads the letter. “By failing to fulfill this duty, county officers have no way to plan future budgets or determine the availability of funds for making purchases, leading to serious financial problems.”
Kinney County and its taxpayers have reportedly suffered legal consequences as a result of Jones’ actions, including the loss of grant funding.
In one instance, Jones reportedly failed to produce financial documentation required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s grant program, “resulting in a substantial loss of $518,385.19 in grant awards for county residents,” according to the letter.
The court contends that failing to approve budgeted travel expenses and budgeted salary payments for county employees—which Jones is being accused of—“would likely constitute an abuse of [Jones’] discretionary power.”
Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith wrote a legal opinion to County Judge John Paul Schuster and the commissioners court in March 2025 highlighting these problems. Smith wrote that “Texas law provides multiple remedies to compel compliance or seek the auditor’s removal from office.”
Assistant County Attorney Tony Hackebeil added: “I have been involved in setting budgets and working with County Auditors and never have I seen one operate in this manner without regard to the consequences of her decisions.”
Beyond Jones’ alleged poor performance as county auditor, the letter claims her behavior has brought into question her “moral character and fitness for office.”
An official grievance was filed against Jones by her former assistant, Debbie Buantello, alleging wrongful termination, including discrimination and a hostile work environment.
Jones reportedly violated the county’s camera surveillance policy when she had a surveillance camera pointed at Buantello. Despite being notified of her violation by a county judge, Jones did not alter her behavior.
The commissioners also alleged Jones engaged in questionable behavior in their presence.
“There are many documented instances of Ms. Jones continually disrupting Commissioner Court proceedings without being recognized and have gone so far as to make public multiple defamatory statements about the county and its alleged misappropriation of money,” reads the letter.
Jones’ performance as auditor of Kinney County reportedly reflects her past behavior as auditor for Wichita County from 2020 to 2024.
Behavior in Wichita County cited in the letter included “delays in payment, locking out an elected official from the county’s financial software, and late payment of payroll taxes.”
Jones made headlines in August 2024 when security personnel escorted her out of her Wichita County office—just hours before her term expired—after county personnel were locked out of the county’s financial software.
Before Jones’ removal as Wichita Auditor in August 2024, she notified Attorney General Ken Paxton of concerns about the elections administrator being the spouse of a county commissioner.
Jones asked Paxton for an opinion concerning “whether there is an issue of nepotism or conflict of interest.”
However, the circumstances surrounding Jones’ own appointment raised local eyebrows.
Kelly Perry—president of the Kinney County Republican Women—told Texas Scorecard that “since her employment began it has come to light that Mr. Weingardt was given the task of accepting applications and interviewing applicants for the auditor’s position and they [Ms. Jones and Mr. Weingardt] were romantically involved at that time.”
A photo on Jones’ public Facebook page indicated that she and Weingardt were in a romantic relationship since at least August 2022. The couple married on May 31, 2025, after Jones divorced her husband—with whom she shares two children—in June of 2022.
“I don’t think you can call this nepotism. I think unethical is probably the right word,” Perry commented. “I don’t believe Judge Andrade was given the full information about the problems at Ms. Jones’ prior employment before making the decision to hire her.”
The Kinney County commissioners court letter called not only for Jones’ removal from office due to incompetence, but for disbanding the office of county auditor altogether. The letter instead suggests that a procurement officer and an administrative assistant be hired by the county to serve under the treasurer’s office.
According to Texas Local Government Code § 84, a county with a population of under 10,200 is not required to have an appointed auditor. The population of Kinney County is under 3,200.
When asked whether the commissioners court letter created any momentum toward removing Jones, Perry said “Not as of this date.”
“This is completely out of the county’s hands,” said Perry. “It’s been requested that Ms. Jones be let go. Yet, as of this date, Judge Andrade has not chosen to make this decision. Based on her past performance in Kinney County and Wichita County it does not seem she acts in the best interest of the county she works for.”
According to Perry, the border county has been struggling from the Biden administration’s open borders policy.
“We are a small county that has been through 4 very hard years on the border. It takes everyone working together to accomplish all that has had to be done,” Perry continued.
As of publication, Jones is still listed as county auditor on the Kinney County website.
Jones, Weingardt, and Judge Andrade did not respond to Texas Scorecard’s request for comment in time for publication.
If you or anyone you know has information regarding judicial malfeasance, please contact our tip line: scorecardtips@protonmail.com.
