Please note: All agenda items are considered PASSED unless indicated otherwise.

OPEN SESSION:

PUBLIC HEARING:

1. Receive input regarding the FY26 Proposed Budget and Proposed Tax Rate; discuss and consider the same.

Comments:

As Plato warned, “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” In today’s fast-paced world, this ancient wisdom rings truer than ever—especially right here in Smith County, where government overreach thrives when good people do nothing. 

By skipping public comments on our county’s budget and tax rate, you’re handing unaccountable officials a blank check to balloon spending, saddling you—and your children and grandchildren—with the bill. This week, we held two public hearings—one at 9:30 a.m. and another at 5:30 p.m.—to discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget and tax rate. Not one patriot showed up to offer three minutes of truth about our runaway budget or the shameful lack of transparency in the process. No one stepped forward. No one shouted “STOP.” No one held us accountable.

Friends, when no one shows up, you’re telling those officials they’re untouchable.

Nothing will change if you don’t get involved. We’re drowning in a world that keeps us busy—overworked, underpaid, and bombarded by distractions like Facebook, Instagram, emails, texts, bank alerts, and games. It’s football season now, with hunting season on deck. No touchdown or deer stand will cut your taxes or rein in government. It’s modern-day “bread and circuses”—a distraction tactic as old as the Roman Empire, designed to lull you into complacency while your hard-earned money and power slips away unnoticed.

Most people know more about what’s happening in Washington than in Austin, and even less about Smith County and Tyler. Yet, it’s your local government where your voice can stop the madness. Local decisions hit your wallet hardest today and your kid’s wallets tomorrow: property taxes, road repairs, public safety funding— all decided in Commissioners Court. As the Bible reminds us in Matthew 23:26, “Clean the inside of the cup and dish, and the outside also will be clean.” Start in your own backyard—protect and defend your liberties at home first. You’re fighting for your children’s future too. That stand will echo to Austin and Washington.

I need your help to turn this around. How can I help you engage with your voice? I really want to know: What is preventing you from coming to Court, speaking at Court, or even sending an email? Is it the inconvenient timing of meetings? A fear that your input won’t matter? Lack of information on how to speak in court? Not understanding how local government works? Share your thoughts with me. I’m LISTENING to you! What can I do to help you reclaim your power? 

Smith County, your voice is your weapon—use it! Let’s break the cycle of sitting on the sidelines. Join the next Commissioners Court meeting, share your barriers with me, and let’s build a county government that answers to you. What will you do today to clean the inside of your cup so you kids and grandkids don’t inherit a mess?

RESOLUTIONS

2. Discuss and take necessary action to adopt a resolution proclaiming September 2025, as “Deaf Awareness Month” in Smith County.
 
3. Discuss and take necessary action to adopt a resolution proclaiming September 2025, as “National Recovery Month” in Smith County.
 
PRESENTATION 

4. Receive Presentation from Fitzpatrick Architects and HOAR Construction regarding the Smith County Courthouse Construction and authorize a change order approving bid alternate for the fifth floor finish out of public spaces and one courtroom quadrant and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments: 

Read the update on the County’s website

Hoar Construction and Fitzpatrick Architects presented an update on the Courthouse Construction. We also approved a change order to complete specific areas on the 5th floor of the new Smith County Courthouse. Initially designated for future court expansion, this floor will now have its public spaces and one courtroom finished. The cost of this work will be fully covered by interest earned on the Courthouse Construction & Parking Garage Bond funds, which, by law, must be used for the bond project. As a result, the move-in date for the courthouse will be rescheduled to December 2026.
Total Project Cost: $7,163,459

COURT ORDERS
 
COMMISSIONERS COURT

5. Consider and take necessary action to appoint a Smith County representative to serve on theNortheast Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA) Board of Directors, serving the remainder of a two-year term, beginning July 31, 2025, and ending February 1, 2026.

Comments: 

Following Howard Patterson’s resignation from the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA) Board of Directors in July, the vacancy had to be filled. We appointed Alejandro Guana to fill the position, serving the remainder of Patterson’s term, which concludes on February 1, 2026. I served with Alejandro as a Precinct Chair for the Smith County Republican Party.  He is fiscally conservative and principled.  He will make a great addition to the NET RMA board. 

6. Consider and take necessary action to approve the settlement participation and release agreement in the amount of $197,074.02 pending in In re National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804, and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments: 

Our nation has faced a tough opioid crisis, worsened by drug companies like Purdue Pharma misleading people about their addictive drugs, leading to overdoses and high costs for healthcare and police. To fight back, the county joined a big lawsuit with other local governments. This resulted in a settlement of $197,074.02—money that doesn’t come from taxes—to help cover these expenses and support recovery efforts without raising taxes, easing the community’s financial load.

The funds should be used to focus on fighting the opioid problem by expanding treatment like counseling, running prevention programs in schools, providing overdose-reversing drugs like naloxone, and offering housing or job help for those recovering.

• National Opioid Settlements – https://nationalopioidsettlement.com
• Exhibit E: List of Opioid Remediation Uses
• Opioid Settlements at a Glance

7. Consider and take necessary action to make changes to the FY2026 Proposed Budget including but not limited to the changes described in the August 19, 2025, Commissioners Court meeting.

Comments:

This item was added prior to the Budget Officer’s resignation. As of 8:00 AM on September 2nd, the Auditor officially assumed the role of Budget Officer. The purpose was to finalize unresolved items I had previously raised with the former Budget Officer, which had not been addressed in the proposed budget.

Given that September 2nd was Mrs. Smith’s first day in this capacity, it was unreasonable to expect her to resolve everything immediately. Still, we used the opportunity to go over most of the pending items and allow Commissioners and the Judge to vote on final changes.

Key Updates:

• Salaries: A review of salary calculations by the Auditor’s Office resulted in a $61,085 overall increase.
  
• Salary Study Funds Reallocated: The $150,000 initially budgeted for a salary study was redirected to the Sheriff’s Office for vehicle purchases. The Sheriff received $324,000 total for vehicles, enough for six new patrol units, addressing those with mileage near or over 200,000.
  
• Emergency Supplies: $25,000 was awarded to Emergency Management for supply purchases.
  
• New Staff Position: The Sheriff’s Office received funding for a part-time position to assist with sex offender registration ($40,000).
• Constable Vehicle Funding: Constable Precinct 4 (Joplin) reallocated $5,000 from his Vehicle Maintenance line to Constable Precinct 1 (Caraway) for vehicle equipment. Joplin received funding for two replacement vehicles; Caraway received funding for one.

IT Department Funding Denied:
IT requested four new positions. Only two were approved. Chief Information Officer, Don Bell, had noted that if the remaining two were not funded, he would need $75,000 to contract support services to manage the workload and maintain compliance. The Budget Officer did not include this in the proposal.

I raised the issue again, but Commissioner Moore moved to delay action and “wait and see.” The motion passed 4-0. I was the sole dissenting voice. Delaying does not reduce the workload or legal obligations—this could create future issues.

• Motion made by Commissioner John Moore – Precinct 2 and seconded by Commissioner J Scott Herod – Precinct 3 to wait on additional funding for Information Technology for Audio/Visual support services.
  • Passed 4-0; Abstain: (None); Absent: (None)
  • Nay: (1 Commissioner Christina Drewry – Precinct 1).

They Killed the Animal Shelter Project:
I heard your concerns about the proposed new construction of the Animal Shelter, and I share your passion for this important project. Recently, the Capital Improvement Planning Committee, led by Judge Neal Franklin, redirected funds originally set aside for the new construction of the animal shelter to cover IT software upgrades and equipment. This decision, not yet finalized by the Commissioners Court, overlooks the opportunity to use interest from Covid-19 (ARPA) funds for the IT upgrades, which would preserve the shelter project’s budget. I covered the original discussion on the changes in my weekly report from August 12.

Judge Franklin’s motion prioritized keeping the ARPA interest untouched and funding IT upgrades from the Facilities Improvement Fund, effectively killing the shelter’s new construction. I suspect there are undisclosed plans for the $4 million in ARPA interest, and I believe transparency on this will be revealing. Keep your eyes open!

Your voices matter. Many of you have expressed strong support for the new shelter, and I stood with you by voting no on this motion. It is important to me to represent the community’s needs despite the opposition. 

• Motion made by County Judge Neal Franklin and seconded by Commissioner John Moore – Precinct 2 to leave the Covid-19/ARPA (Fund #74) earned interest intact and not use the interest to fund Information Technology requests entered in the Facilities Improvement Fund (Fund #45) as recommended by the Capital Improvement Plan Committee, not yet approved by Commissioners Court.

• • Passed 4-0; Abstain: (None); Absent: (None)
  • Nay (1 Commissioner Christina Drewry – Precinct 1).

“Stand up for what is right even if you stand alone.” – Suzy Kassem

Commissioners Reject Efforts to Cut Wasteful AgriLife Budget, Choosing to Spend Unnecessary Tax Dollars:

If the public was paying attention, this was probably the most revealing vote. Stay with me and pay attention.  When they tell you who they are, you should listen. 

Your tax dollars fund the AgriLife Department, which supports our rural community but isn’t a core function of county government. Their budget for FY26 comes to just over $388,000. I reviewed their budget and found they requested $32,000 for travel in FY26, despite only spending $22,849 of this year’s budgeted $32,000. Their Training budget was also high—$18,000 requested again for FY26, but only $7,233 spent in FY25. The Department Head, Clint Perkins, was present in court and he explained that he needed that for travel in district and to speaking events all across Texas. My report on their trend was as of August 1st and they had just submitted the travel reimbursements for August with one more month of travel to go. When I asked about the bloated Training budget, the department head admitted they only needed $13,000-$14,000 for training. I moved to trim it to $13,000 to save your money. After all, it was noted earlier in the meeting that the AgriLife $4,500 request for new laptops was coming from the Rainy Day Fund. The funding could have come from within their own budget. Not one Commissioner or your County Judge backed me. This vote lays bare who stands for fiscal responsibility—and who doesn’t.

• Motion made by Commissioner Christina Drewry – Precinct 1 to reduce AgriLife (Dept #665) in Training (#632) to $13,000 from $18,000.
  • Motion died for lack of a second.

But wait – it doesn’t end there! Commissioner Moore pushed to keep the unnecessary funds in the AgriLife budget, with Commissioner Caraway, Sr. seconding the motion. Your County Judge also voted in favor of handing over your tax dollars, despite clear evidence they weren’t needed. I’m here to protect your money, and this was a clear case of wasteful spending. Thankfully, Commissioner J. Scott Herod stood firm with a ‘no’ vote—his first, and a much-needed show of fiscal common sense.

• Motion made by Commissioner John Moore – Precinct 2 and seconded by Commissioner Ralph Caraway, Sr. – Precinct 4 to leave AgriLife (Dept #665) in Training (#632) at $18,000.
  • Passed 3-0; Abstain: (None); Absent: (None)
  • Nays (2 Commissioner Christina Drewry – Precinct 1 and Commissioner J Scott Herod – Precinct 3).

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO WATCH THE CLIP ABOVE (2 MIN)
If you’d like to watch all 9 minutes of the discussion, that starts at the 1 hr and 56 minute mark on the Commissioners Court video linked at the beginning of this report.

FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE

8. Consider and take necessary action to approve the After-Action Report from the 2024 storms and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

9. Consider and take necessary action to approve the Improvement Plan from the 2024 storms and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments:

The After-Action Report (AAR) and Improvement Plan (IP) for the 2024 Spring Storms and Floods serve as essential tools for evaluating and enhancing Smith County’s emergency management. The AAR provides a structured, objective assessment of the prolonged severe weather event, which included tornadoes, high winds, and flooding that generated over 22,000 cubic yards of debris on county property, costing $750,000+, damaged 653 homes, disrupted infrastructure, and caused extended power outages. 
 
It documents successes, such as:

• Strong inter-agency coordination in the EOC
• Effective use of GIS for roadway mapping
• STEAR for vulnerable populations
• Social media for public alerts
• Dedication of dispatch and first responders

However, it identifies key challenges, including:

• Inconsistent documentation and tracking
• Lack of training on tools like iSTAT/pSTAT
• Volunteer coordination gaps
• Insufficient shelter agreements
• Radar coverage deficiencies
• Inadequate mitigation practices
• Long-term recovery planning shortfalls
• Facility shortages for volunteers and DRCs/PODs
• Virtual communication limitations
• Personnel redundancy issues
• EOC situational awareness weaknesses
• Absence of a mobile command platform
• Delays in heavy equipment rentals

The Improvement Plan builds directly on the After-Action Report by converting these lessons into actionable steps, assigning responsibilities, timelines, and performance measures. It prioritizes remediation for vulnerabilities while sustaining best practices, ensuring alignment with frameworks like ESF-5 (Emergency Management), ESF-6 (Mass Care), and FEMA’s National Disaster Recovery Framework to foster resilience, efficiency, and resource optimization.
These reports reveal that while our immediate response efforts were strong and lifesaving, the compounding nature of these disasters highlights the need for improved preparedness in several areas: data management, coordination with state partners like TDEM, infrastructure investments (e.g., local radar, generators, sirens), and long-term recovery planning. Addressing these gaps will help reduce future risks, eliminate duplication, improve response for vulnerable residents, and streamline reimbursement and operational processes. The bottom line is that significant work remains to enhance our response to major emergencies. 

I have requested periodic progress updates from the Emergency Management Coordinator to ensure we implement the recommended improvements. For items not requiring additional funding, I anticipate progress within the next six months. I look forward to an update in the spring!
 
I am truly proud of our Emergency Management Coordinator, Brandon Moore, for the exceptional time and effort he invested in producing these comprehensive reports. His dedication strengthens our community’s safety and resilience—thank you, Brandon!

RECURRING BUSINESS
ROAD AND BRIDGE

10. Receive pipe and/or utility line installation request (notice only) for County Road 2169, Wright City Water Service Company, road bore for service line, Precinct 2.

11. Consider and take necessary action to authorize the county judge to sign the:
a. Final Plat for the Shaw Subdivision, Precinct 3,
b. Re-Plat for Cedar Vista, Unit 3, Precinct 4,
c. Re-Plat for Blue Ridge Estates, Phase Two, Precinct 1, and
d. Re-Plat for Hole 8 at Pinehurst, Precinct 4.

AUDITOR’S OFFICE

12. Consider and take necessary action to approve and/or ratify payment of accounts, bills, payroll, transfer of funds, amendments, and health claims.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

13. Receive report on status of Smith County jail operations, inmate population, employee overtime, and employee vacancies.

Comments:

The Emergency Support Function 2, Communication, Annex is like a clear plan that helps county leaders, emergency crews, and volunteers—like radio operators—work together to keep everyone connected during a disaster. It focuses on making sure phones, radios, emergency alerts, and other communication tools keep running, especially when things like storms or power outages mess up regular service. Think of it as a guide that sets up who does what, organizes backup systems, and makes sure people get the right info fast, so the community stays safe and in the loop during tough times.

EXECUTIVE SESSION: 

For purposes permitted by Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, entitled Open Meetings, Sections 55 l.071, 55 l.072, 551.073, 551.074, 551.0745, 551.075, and 551.076. The Commissioners Court reserves the right to exercise its discretion and may convene in executive session as authorized by theTexas Government Code, Section 551.071, et seq., on any of the items listed on its formal or briefing agendas.
 
SECTION 551.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS
 
SECTION 551.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY

14. Deliberation and consultation regarding the employment, evaluation, and duties of the Smith County Budget Officer.

OPEN SESSION:
 
COURT ORDERS
COMMISSIONERS COURT

15. Consider and take necessary action regarding the employment, evaluation, and duties of the Smith County Budget Officer.

Comments:

We accepted the resignation of Kari Perkins, the former Smith County Budget Officer.

ADJOURN