Commissioners Court Notes
Please note: All agenda items are considered PASSED unless indicated otherwise.
OPEN SESSION:
PRESENTATION
1. Presentation of employee recognition, longevity certificates, and service pins.
COURT ORDERS
COMMISSIONERS COURT
2. Consider and take necessary action to approve the two-year bond renewal for Smith County Engineer, Billy Frank Davis, effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027, and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
We approved the renewal of the County Engineer’s bond for another 2 years.
ELECTIONS
3. Consider and take necessary action to approve the 2026 Joint Primary Resolution in accordance with Texas Election Code Section 172.126 and Title 31, Texas Administrative Code, Section 81.157 between Smith County and the Republican and Democratic parties.
Comments:
The local political parties are the authority over the March Primary Election. A joint primary allows the Republican and Democratic parties to hold their separate primary elections on the same day while sharing polling locations, equipment, and resources with county officials. This arrangement delivers significant cost savings for taxpayers, parties, and election administrators by avoiding duplicated efforts. We passed the resolution to conduct the joint primary.
AUDITOR’S OFFICE
4. Consider and take necessary action to adopt the attached resolution and accept the FY25 HAVA Grant agreement # TXHAVA-ES2025-212 and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
We accepted a $78,685 Federal HAVA Election Security Grant for voting equipment upgrades and cybersecurity. As a reimbursement grant, we spend first on approved projects and get repaid federally. The $15,737 county match comes from our existing Elections Services Contract Fund.
5. Consider and take necessary action to approve a three (3) year agreement for ERP Pro 10 Financial Software from Tyler Technologies, Inc. utilizing Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing contract 060624-TTI in the amount of $159,874 for each of the three (3) years ($479,622.00 total), and authorize a discretionary exemption pursuant to Local Government Code §262.024(a)(7)(D) for data conversion in an amount not to exceed $374,438.00, travel in an amount not to exceed $83,333.00 and training in the amount of $19,368.00 and authorize the county judge to sign related documentation.
Comments:
Our current financial software is outdated and does not integrate with the primary offices that manage county funds: the Treasurer’s Office, the Purchasing Department, and Human Resources (which also handles payroll). Each of these offices currently uses its own separate system, resulting in duplicated work, wasted staff time, and higher costs that are ultimately borne by taxpayers.
The project was initially presented as a single, unified platform in which the Treasurer’s Office, Purchasing, the Budget Officer, and Human Resources could share data without redundancy. A key advertised benefit was the ability to track county assets valued under $5,000—items such as laptops, desks, chairs, generators, and drones. Currently, Smith County does not track items below $5,000, meaning we have no reliable account of how many taxpayer-funded assets we own—or how many may have gone missing. Better tracking would help prevent loss and protect your money.
In my opinion, an upgrade is justified only if the new system fully connects all financial functions countywide, simplifies budgeting, and produces genuine efficiencies for the departments involved. Spending millions solely because the County Auditor is familiar with this software from her previous position in Burnet County does not, in my view, provide sufficient justification.
Several concerns were raised during Commissioners Court discussions:
- The County Auditor chose not to seek competitive bids, instead using the Sourcewell cooperative contract to contract directly with Tyler Technologies—the same system she used in her prior county.
- The Purchasing Department has stated it will not discontinue its existing procurement software.
- Human Resources intends to continue using NeoGov for employment records, although the HR Director indicated openness to reviewing Tyler Technologies’ HR module.
Tyler Technologies says the new system could be running by January 1, 2027. However, experiences in other counties suggest these conversions typically take over one year and sometimes takes two to three years, or longer, and they are always challenging. While we switch over, we’ll have to keep paying for both the old software and the new one at the same time—for three full years at least. The cost to keep the legacy software running during this overlap is projected at approximately $1.1 million, in addition to the expenses of the new system.
Our county IT staff will assist with data migration (estimated at 60 days), while Tyler Technologies is responsible for the majority of the implementation work. This arrangement is appropriate, as our IT Department is already managing three major projects, that were already vetted and approved in early FY 2025 for FY26, including the new courthouse coming online. The timeline appears to have been accelerated; earlier budget discussions referenced FY27 rather than FY26. When the Capital Improvement Plan was approved several months ago in 2025, $3 million was allocated across FY26 and 2027 for this project, even though cloud-based software does not qualify as a capital asset under county policy. [As a reminder, I voted against including software in the CIP because we must adhere to our own policy when committing taxpayer funds. The plan was ultimately passed by the remaining members of the Court.]
Once the data is transferred, staff from multiple departments will need to conduct a thorough “stare and compare” process—running parallel reports in both systems to verify accuracy. This step is essential to avoid errors that could disrupt county financial operations, though it will demand considerable staff effort.
The County Auditor and County Judge support advancing the project immediately, and it will proceed. Our Chief Information Officer, Don Bell, will serve as the county’s project manager and provide periodic updates to the Court. Tyler Technologies bears primary responsibility for a timely and successful implementation. While other counties have experienced extended timelines, any delays should rest with the vendor—not our local IT team, which is performing excellent work on other critical initiatives. Our Smith County IT team is already handling multiple critical projects this fiscal year, including the new courthouse, and they deserve full credit for their ongoing work without bearing the brunt of any delays in this software conversion.
To get the most value for your tax dollars, I asked the Tyler Technologies representative for specific demonstrations of the purchasing module, the HR module, and the part designed for Commissioners. He agreed to provide them. If we fully use these built-in features, we can drop the separate programs, stop paying duplicate licenses, free up staff time, and save money over the long run.
We have a duty to make sure this large investment gives us a complete, connected system—not a halfway solution that leaves taxpayers still paying for multiple overlapping programs. Protecting your money and holding everyone accountable will always be my priority.
FCIC
6. Consider and take necessary action to approve a purchase from EXFO American, Inc. in the amount of $57,040 for FCIC and authorize a discretionary exemption pursuant to Local Government Code §262.024(a)(7) and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
We approved a $57,040 purchase of specialized investigative equipment for the FCIC to help law enforcement carry out investigations more effectively. The equipment was purchased from a single vendor because it is only available from that company, which qualifies for a discretionary exemption under state law.
This purchase is funded with state dollars, not local tax revenue. However, it’s important not to think of this as “free money from the government.” That funding comes from taxpayers first—your money is sent to the state and then returned to help support local entities like the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. While I’m glad those funds are coming back to Smith County, it’s still taxpayer money, and it deserves the same level of scrutiny and accountability.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
7. Consider and take necessary action to approve the following contracts with Motorola Solutions under the HGAC and Texas DIR Cooperative Contract in the amount of $402,060.37 and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation:
- Spillman FLEX Subscription Software in the amount of $344,159.37 under HGAC Contract RA05-21,
- Command Aware SaaS (Software) in the amount of $44,187.50 under Texas DIR Contract DIR-CPO-5433, and
- CAPE Drone Software in the amount of $13,714.00 under Texas DIR Contract DIRCPO 5433.
Comments:
We approved the contracts with Motorola Solutions for the Sheriff’s Office. These items were already budgeted for FY26, and the purchases were made through state cooperative contracts.
New Software:
- Spillman FLEX Subscription Software
- Year 1 cost: $344,159.37
- Recurring annual cost starting Year 2: $195,225.83
This moves the Sheriff’s Office’s main records and dispatch system to a subscription model while keeping it hosted on county systems. The change adds new features the Sheriff’s Office requires, plus ongoing updates and support.
- Command Aware Software
- Year 1 cost: $44,187.50
- Recurring annual cost starting Year 2: $44,187.50
This provides real-time situational awareness during emergencies and allows multiple agencies to share live information from body cameras and security cameras. It had already been used in a trial run and will now be fully implemented.
- CAPE Drone Software
- Year 1 cost: $13,714.00
- Recurring annual cost starting Year 2: $10,764.00
This is the updated drone software that works directly with Spillman and supports search, rescue, and emergency response operations.
Total Cost Summary:
- Total first-year cost: $402,060.87
- 911 District contribution: $125,000
- Net first-year cost to the county: $277,060.87
This software improves dispatch, coordination, emergency response, and public safety, with outside support from the 911 District helping reduce the first-year cost to taxpayers. We are always so appreciative of their generosity and collaboration.
8. Consider and take necessary action to approve the PSAP Participation Fund contribution from the 911 District in the amount of $125,000.00 to be applied to the Motorola Solutions Spillman Contract costs and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
We approved the 911 District’s $125,000 contribution to help cover the cost of upgraded dispatch and law enforcement software.
As mentioned in the previous agenda item, this funding helped pay for improvements to the Spillman and Command Aware systems, which are used by 911 dispatchers and first responders to share information, coordinate during emergencies, and respond more effectively—especially during multi-agency incidents.
These funds were already approved in the 911 District’s budget and were applied directly to reduce the county’s costs for the software upgrades.
9. Consider and take necessary action to approve the CIP Project and contract for Watchguard Cloud System and Migration with Motorola Solutions under the HGAC Contract RA05-21in the amount of $192,392.40 and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
The IT Dept is moving forward on a technology project to move the Sheriff’s Office’s body camera and in-car camera video evidence into a secure cloud system provided by Motorola Solutions for a cost of $192,392.40.
This project allows digital evidence to be stored, managed, and accessed more securely and efficiently, while keeping it properly integrated with the Sheriff’s systems. Only the Sheriff’s Office was included in this phase; other county departments will remain on local systems for now. The project was already approved and budgeted in the Capital Improvement Plan, and the final cost came in under the amount that was budgeted.
PURCHASING
10. Consider and take necessary action to award annual contracts for the following bids and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation:
- RB-11-26 Annual Contract for Drainage Culverts (Base Bid A), and
- RB-13-26 Annual Contract for Asphaltic Concrete Patching Material.
Comments:
Every year to lock in pricing for the materials we need to maintain our roads and bridges, the county solicits bids for drainage culverts and asphalt patching materials, which are used to fix potholes, repair damaged roadways, and manage water flow to help prevent flooding.
The vendors were selected through a competitive bidding process to help keep costs reasonable for taxpayers. The price for drainage culverts came in slightly higher than last year because the bid was for heavier-gauge steel pipe, and we did approve that contract.
For the asphalt patching material, there was only one bidder, and the cost came in at $245 per ton, compared to $158 per ton last year. Based on the County Engineer’s recommendation, we did not approve that contract, and it will be put back out to bid in hopes of getting better pricing.
11. Consider and take necessary action to authorize the Purchasing Department to advertise, solicit, and receive sealed bids for the following:
- RB 15-26 Annual Roadway Striping, and
- RB 16-26 Annual Contract for Drainage Culverts (Base Bid B and C).
Comments:
We authorized both of these items to be rebid so the county can seek better pricing and competitive options before awarding contracts.
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
12. Consider and take necessary action to allow the Auditor’s Office to apply for the FY2027 Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, Peace Officer Mental Health grant program on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
We approved allowing the Auditor’s Office to apply for FY27 grant funding through the Office of the Governor for the Peace Officer Mental Health Grant Program on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office. During court, we learned the grant amount is $45,000. This action was only approval to apply. If the grant is awarded, it will return to Commissioners Court for a separate vote to formally accept the funding.
The grant application for this item, as well as the next three grant items, was not included in the supporting documents provided to the Court. On Monday at 11:03 AM, I emailed Jana Teague in the Auditor’s Office, whose role includes preparing grant applications, requesting copies so I could review them before court. I did not receive a response prior to the meeting.
Because grant funding often comes with specific requirements and conditions, I asked Chief Jackson during court to ensure Commissioners Court is given the opportunity to review all grant applications before action is taken in the future. It is important that the Court fully understands the obligations tied to these grants to avoid financial penalties or repayment using taxpayer funds if requirements are not met.
As of now, I have not received a response from the Auditor’s Office to the Monday email request.
13. Consider and take necessary action to allow the Auditor’s Office to apply for the FY2027 Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, Body Worn Camera grant program on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
We approved the Auditor’s Office to apply for FY27 grant funding available through the Officer of the Governor for Body Cameras Grant Program on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office. There is a county match of 25% if the Sheriff’s Office wins this award.
14. Consider and take necessary action to allow the Auditor’s Office to apply for the FY2027 Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, Rifle-Resistant Body Armor grant program on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
We approved the Auditor’s Office to apply for FY27 grant funding available through the Officer of the Governor for Rifle-Resistant Body Armor Grant Program on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office. Again, this is approval to apply and should they win the award, it will have to come through court for approval.
15. Consider and take necessary action to allow the Auditor’s Office to apply for the FY2027 Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, Sexual Assault Evidence Testing grant program on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.
Comments:
The Judge noted that the Court was passing on this item for now, and I will be looking for it to come back before the Court in the near future.
RECURRING BUSINESS
AUDITOR’S OFFICE
16. Consider and take necessary action to approve and/or ratify payment of accounts, bills, payroll, transfer of funds, amendments, and health claims.
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 the Texas 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
17. Deliberation and consultation with attorney regarding regulatory compliance and claims submitted through the Smith County Health Plan, and compliance with Local Government Code Chapter 262, Subchapter C.
18. Deliberation and consultation regarding the appointment, employment, and duties of the Smith County Budget Officer and Budget Analyst.
OPEN SESSION:
COURT ORDERS
COMMISSIONERS COURT
19. Consider and take necessary action to approve the following ancillary agreements and disclosures pursuant to Local Government Code, § 262.036 related to the Smith County Health Plan, and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation:
- Benefits Bucks, Inc., FSA/HSA Administration,
- Cobra Charmers, Inc., Cobra Benefits Administration,
- Brinson Benefits, Inc., BSwift Benefits Enrolment Portal, and
- MyTelemedicine, Inc. dba Lyric Health, Telemedicine Administration.
Comments:
This agenda item addressed administrative contracts tied to the county employee health plan through Brinson Benefits. The reason this item came up today was because it was discovered that formal contracts were not on file for some of these long-standing benefit services. As a result, the Auditor withheld payment until the required contracts and disclosures were provided. The contracts were then submitted, along with a state-required disclosure noting that the Mrs. Brinson has a business interest in two of the benefit service companies. That disclosure was included in the agenda item for transparency although the document wasn’t included in the packet. We still have a lot of work to do towards transparency for the public and in this case – for the Commissioners Court.
These vendors already work together to support the county’s health plan, and this action brought the county back into full compliance while allowing employee benefits to continue without interruption.
20. Consider and take necessary action to authorize the Purchasing Department to advertise, solicit, and receive RFP’s for Third Party Administrator (TPA) for the Smith County Employee Health Plan.
Comments:
In previous reports, I have highlighted the escalating cost of our county healthcare. We have been with Brinson Benefits for several years without shopping the market. Today, we authorized Purchasing to solicit proposals so we can review options, compare costs and services, and determine what works best for the county and its employees. This just allows the county to shop.
ADJOURN