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

OPEN SESSION – 9:30 AM:

PUBLIC HEARING:

1. Receive input regarding the FY27 Proposed Budget and Proposed Tax Rate; discuss and consider the same.

Comments:

This was the public hearing on the proposed FY27 budget and tax rate. The packet included this taxpayer impact statement:

What taxpayers need to know:

• The raw proposed rate is a 15.5% increase on the average homestead tax bill.
• Using about $5 million in fund balance to buy down debt service brings that closer to a 10% increase.
• That buy-down is one-time money from reserves. It can make this year look balanced while leaving a hole next year if spending stays on the same path.

During the hearing we also gave direction on several budget items that will come back for final adoption:

• Create a fleet fund and seed it with $500,000 from reserves so vehicle replacement is planned instead of last-minute.
• Fund non-contractual Public Service Agencies (nonprofits) one more year from fund balance, with notice that this is not a permanent taxpayer donation program.
• Reduced baseline detention-officer additions from four to two and add three patrol deputies for night shift and mental-health response.
• Addressing the salary deficit issues in law enforcement positions: Flat-dollar options under discussion included $2,000 for non-law enforcement and $4,000 for law enforcement, plus SB 22 & Federal Inmate fund supplements. 

The Sheriff has special funds that sit under his authority, as long as he spends them for the purpose those dollars were given. SB 22 sends Smith County $500,000 a year in state money for the Sheriff’s Office. There are also Federal Inmate Housing funds collected for holding federal inmates. He has chosen to use those dollars to supplement law-enforcement positions, and our Auditor has recommended that we treat it as a stipend, not as a raise baked into base salary. This is fiscal responsibility.

That distinction matters. If the State pulls SB 22, the taxpayer is not automatically on the hook for the same dollars. Current property tax revenue does not grow enough on its own to carry these amounts. We are not obligated to adopt these increases later just because Austin ran out of money.

That is not the same thing as opposing better pay for law enforcement. I support competitive pay for the men and women who wear the badge. I just will not quietly convert a state stipend into a permanent local tax increase the first year the grant disappears.

• Here’s the breakdown of how SB22 and Federal Inmate funds are being split up:
  • Sheriff: $17,000 salary increase (Federal Inmate funds)
  • Chief Deputy: $14,000 salary increase (Federal Inmate funds)
  • Chief Deputy (x 2): $14,000 salary increase (SB 22 funds)
  • Captain: $10,000 salary increase (Federal Inmate funds)
  • Captain (x 2): $10,000 salary increase (SB 22 funds)
  • Lieutenants (x10): $4,000 salary increase (SB 22 funds)
  • All other positions in the Sheriff’s Office: $2860 salary increase (SB 22 funds)
  • Jailers were not supplemented with any Special Funding streams.

• I asked HR to check those numbers against the salary study before we lock anything in. Last year, after the budget was passed, there was an adjustment needed to correct the salaries that became an additional cost of $66,000+. Asking HR to review the positions and allocations is a preventative measure. It never hurts to have more eyes reviewing the numbers.

• I also raised questions about the Detention Officer pay. That is where we have the greatest retention problem. Detention staff are in a lower pay range, they carry the heavy load inside the jail, and they were left out of this year’s supplement conversation. The Sheriff’s plan is to fix it next year. I am genuinely concerned about waiting that long. Our jailers are hurting now. Putting it off another year is not equitable, and it will not fill the vacancies we already have.

PRESENTATIONS

2. Presentation of employee recognition, longevity certificates, and service pins.

3. Receive presentation from UT Health on Inmate Medical Services.

Comments:

UT Health is in year three of providing inmate medical and mental-health services at the jail. Ms. Carol Henson and her team reported progress that matters:

• Pharmaceutical and supply costs have been stabilized by smarter ordering—matching the amount of medicine to how long an inmate is actually expected to stay.
• Wait times to see a provider have come down by bringing in extra help when the list gets too long.
• Inmates can request care on tablets, and response times have improved.
• On-site and tele-psychiatry, including forced-medication evaluations, have reduced emergency trips.
• Psychology coverage is stronger: a full-time psychologist Monday–Friday, more interns, and group therapy.
• Behavioral-health emergencies and the need for emergency medication or restraints have dropped. Crisis coverage is available around the clock.
• They are sending some inmates out with a bridge prescription so they do not lose medication before they can get to the Andrews Center.

That is real improvement. Judge Franklin and the Sheriff’s Office both said the difference from the old arrangement is night and day. 

The inmate medical line is expensive, and taxpayers deserve the full picture. Before UT Health, Smith County spent about $2.5-3 million a year on inmate medical care. We budgeted $5.3 million for FY26—roughly double the old cost. Inmate Medical cost ran over budget in 2025. It looks to be coming back toward the $5.3 million budget this year with some of the changes that UT made. That is progress. It is still a much larger bill than the one we used to pay, which is why I want regular reports—not just an annual presentation and a monthly invoice.

The gaps are just as important for taxpayers to hear:

• High-cost chronic care—cancer, renal failure, HIV/AIDS—still drives hospital trips and specialty visits.
• Night-shift nursing is the hardest staffing hole to fill.
• Substance abuse on top of mental illness is still feeding recidivism.

I asked two things in court:

1. Come back with a written report of the contract savings they have already found, so the public can see the dollars—not just hear that “we looked at contracts.”
2. Stop treating this as a once-a-year update. Unless a Commissioner requests the monthly medical bills, we do not automatically see them. I asked for regular briefing notes covering:
   • Medical visits by type
   • Unique inmates seen
   • Most common diagnoses
   • Medications dispensed
   • Off-site / hospital transports
   • Denials or delayed care
   • Staffing levels compared with the contract
   • A simple comparison of services delivered versus what the county is paying for

We cannot oversee a multi-million-dollar medical contract if the Court only gets the monthly bill. UT Health said they are open to that reporting. I will follow up until it is routine.

4. Receive burn ban update from Fire Marshal Chad Hogue.

Comments:

We are still under a burn ban and conditions have not improved enough to cancel the ban. Thank you, Fire Marshal Hogue, for keeping us informed on current conditions and giving recommendations for the Court and citizens. We also appreciate all the help in the signage that is out announcing the burn ban.

COURT ORDERS

COMMISSIONERS COURT
5. Consider and take necessary action to reschedule the public hearing regarding the FY 2027 budget and FY 2027 Tax Rate from 09/01/2026 at 9:30 a.m. to 09/15/2026 at 9:30 a.m.

Comments:

We moved the next budget and tax-rate public hearing to September 15, 2026, at 9:30 AM. Please mark that date and come if you can.

6. Receive into the record an Order setting the Smith County Auditor’s salary, pursuant to Texas Local Government Code, Section 152.031(b).

Comments:

This is the statutory order from the District Judges setting Auditor’s Office compensation. The County Auditor’s annual base salary is $158,039, plus longevity and any qualified supplemental pay on the approved scales. 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

7. Consider and take necessary action to approve a Sole Source Discretionary Exemption Order for a period of 2 years pursuant to Texas Local Government Code 262.024 and authorize an agreement between Smith County and CML Security to provide equipment, programming and support for a Computer-Based Jail Control System at the North Jail, Courthouse and Central Jail and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments:

We approved a two-year sole-source exemption and agreement with CML Security for the computer-based jail control systems at the North Jail, Courthouse, and Central Jail. Those systems run cameras, doors, intercoms, and related security equipment. CML holds the proprietary programming from the original vendor, so another company would have to reverse-engineer and replace the system—expensive and risky inside an operating jail.

8. Consider and take necessary action to approve the purchase of an advanced Microsoft Support Agreement and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments:

We approved a one-year advanced Microsoft Unified Support agreement jointly with the City of Tyler.

• Total contract: $86,000
• Smith County’s share: $43,000
• Term: September 12, 2026 through September 11, 2027

Splitting the cost with the City is a practical way to keep critical IT support without each government paying the full freight.

9. Consider and take necessary action to approve the purchase of Defendant Access and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments:

We moved this item up and approved it. Defendant Access is a Tyler Technologies portal so the public can look up and pay JP fines and fees online instead of calling around for case numbers.

• $0 cost to the County
• Payers cover a 5% convenience fee on cards ($1 minimum) and $1 for electronic checks

I asked whether Defendant Access replaces AllPaid.net or sits on top of it. Mr. Bell, our Chief Information Officer, said it is a replacement. That is the answer the public needed. Convenient online payment at no cost to the County is good service. We just should not be running two systems for the same job and paying for the confusion in staff time.

10. Consider and take necessary action to authorize the payment of compensatory time currently accrued by the Information Technology Department through September 19, 2026, and to further authorize the payment of overtime pay for the remainder of FY26.

Comments:

We approved paying down IT compensatory time through September 19 and allowing overtime for the rest of FY26.

• Current comp-time liability: $15,230.44
• Available IT salary lag: $79,792.62

The lag covers the current compensatory-time balance and additional hours through September 19. This is a one-time exception, not a new standing policy. The fact is IT is understaffed and overworked. We keep adding software and equipment, and we have not historically added the people to run it. If those employees cannot afford to take the time off, it makes sense to pay out the compensatory time they have already earned.

A significant amount of IT salary lag will still be sitting there on September 30, 2026. The courthouse move-in will load that department with overtime from December through March. I asked Budget Officer Timothy Hollis whether we should hold that remaining lag and apply it to those move-in hours so IT does not blow past its overtime budget next year. He said yes. That keeps the extra hours from quietly hitting reserves and reduces the burden on the FY27 budget. We still need a countywide salary-lag policy so this does not become a habit in every department.

ROAD AND BRIDGE
11. Consider and take necessary action to approve a request from the City of Tyler for a Temporary Workspace Agreement on Camp Ford property, as needed for the construction of a water line.

Comments:

We approved a temporary 20-by-20 workspace at the northeast corner of county-owned Camp Ford property so the City of Tyler can bore a water line under Highway 271.

• Consideration: $10
• No permanent water-line equipment on county property
• City must restore the ground when the work is done

Zero long-term cost to taxpayers if the restoration is actually enforced. I share the concern about the condition of that property. Temporary use is reasonable; leaving Camp Ford worse than we found it is not.

12. Consider and take necessary action to accept the completion of the construction contract for RB-01-26, Roadway Improvements to CR 129 & CR 146, with an underrun amount of $19,961.64, authorize the county judge to execute the Reconciliation Change Order, and authorize final payment to Texana Land & Asphalt, Inc.

Comments:

Coming in under the bid amount is good to see, but taxpayers deserve an honest explanation of what that number actually is.

• Original award: $704,852.00
• Final cost: $684,890.36
• Reported underrun: $19,961.64
• Miles improved: 2.595

A large part of that “underrun” is not cost savings or a tight bid. These contracts carry a line item called Allowance for Unknown Conditions—$10,000 on CR 129 and $5,000 on CR 146. Neither allowance was spent. That is $15,000 of contingency that simply was not needed, not $19,961 the contractor found a way to save. The remaining difference is about $4,962.

I still thanked County Engineer Frank Davis. CR 129 needed this work, and Precinct 1 residents have been waiting on it. An unused contingency is better than a surprise overrun. It is just not the same thing as coming in under budget because the job was bid tighter or managed cheaper.

13. Consider and take necessary action to accept the completion of the construction contract for RB-27-26, FY26 Pavement Preservation Program, with an underrun amount of $12,744.20, authorize the county judge to execute the Reconciliation Change Order, and authorize final payment to Innovative Roadway Solutions, LLC.

Comments:

Preservation work stretches the life of roads we already own. That is cheaper than rebuilding them later.

Original award: $484,050.00

• Final cost: $471,305.80
• Underrun: $12,744.20
• Miles improved: 10.979

14. Consider and take necessary action to accept the roadway of Red Rock Estates into the Smith County Road Maintenance System.

Comments:

We accepted Hidden Brook Lane in Red Rock Estates into the county system as County Road 1378, Precinct 4. This is a short roadway—about 323 feet.

Accepting any new road creates a permanent taxpayer obligation for mowing, drainage, overlay, and winter maintenance. I asked Mr. Davis again for the list of work we already owe the public before we keep adding miles.
What he confirmed in court:

• On July 28 he presented next year’s seal-coat, special, and in-house project lists.
• Bond / special-road work still on the board is about 32 miles plus a bridge, using remaining 2017/2020 bond funds plus $4 million set aside this year.
• The in-house target is about 22 miles or more, weather permitting.
• Projects already approved this fiscal year are still ramping up and are not all reflected in that “next year” list.

My position has not changed. Reasonable people want to know where the Court’s plan is to finish the bond projects already promised before we keep taking on new maintenance. A 323-foot road is small on its own. The principle is not. Every acceptance adds to the pile the taxpayers will maintain for decades.

EAST TEXAS AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE

15. Consider and take necessary action to accept the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) FY2027 Grant Award, in the amount of $469,456.00, with a proposed cash match of $93,895.00, for the benefit of the East Texas Auto Theft Task Force and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments:

This is the annual MVCPA task-force grant.

• State award: $469,456.00
• Local cash match: $93,895.00

Grants that fight auto theft can be worthwhile when the match is already budgeted and the results are public. 

SHERIFF’S OFFICE

16. Consider and take necessary action to approve a one-time exception for a Smith County Sheriff’s Office Courthouse Deputy; request salary increase by $11,047 based on years of experience.

Comments:

We passed on this item.

RECURRING BUSINESS

ROAD AND BRIDGE
17. Consider and take necessary action to authorize the county judge to sign the final plat for the Troell Subdivision, Precinct 2.

AUDITOR’S OFFICE
18. Consider and take necessary action to approve and/or ratify payment of accounts, bills, payroll, transfer of funds, amendments, and health claims.

ADJOURN

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

OPEN SESSION – 5:30 PM:

PUBLIC HEARING:

1. Receive input regarding the FY27 Proposed Budget and Proposed Tax Rate; discuss and consider the same.

Comments:

We held a special-called evening hearing so working families could come and tell this Court what they think about the proposed budget and tax rate. They showed up.

Eleven citizens spoke. The message was clear: they do not approve of a higher tax rate. The applause in that room made it plain that more than 40 people agreed with them. I knew about 12 of the faces. The rest were new to me—neighbors who took time out of a Tuesday night to come downtown, fill out a public comment form, and stand at the microphone.

A long-time county employee with more than ten years of service told me afterward they had never seen the public turn out for a budget hearing like that. That should tell us something. When people believe the tax bill is getting away from them, they will rearrange their evening and come sit in those benches.

I am proud of every person who walked through that door. This is exactly how self-government is supposed to work. Elected officials do not know what you think about the business of the Court until you tell us. Showing up, speaking up, and bringing your neighbors with you is how you put honest pressure on the people who vote on your tax rate.

Please stay with it! The next budget cycle starts in March of 2027, and the real chance to shape the numbers is at the beginning of that process—not the week we adopt the rate. I put out a lot of information, and we talk through these issues at my monthly Town Halls. Send an email. Make a phone call. Come to Court. Come to a Town Hall. We work better when we work together, Smith County.

The next public hearing on the FY27 budget and tax rate is September 15, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.

ADJOURN