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

OPEN SESSION:

PRESENTATIONS

1. Presentation of employee recognition, longevity certificates, and service pins.
 
2. Receive update from Specialized Public Finance, Inc. on the financing plan for the issuance of bonds.

Comments: 

In 2021, voters approved a plan to borrow money (a bond election) to fix and improve roads in the County. There’s one final part of this plan left to fund: $20 million for the remainder of Phase 2 of the Road Bond Program.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The loan will be paid off over 20 years. After 10 years, the County can choose to pay it off early if it wants.
• Specialized Public Finance is organizing the borrowing to keep the tax rate for paying back the bond at a specific level (0.07000) from 2026 to 2028.
• The bond will be sold on August 25, 2025, and the money will be available to the County on September 25, 2025, to start road improvements.

This bond helps fund better roads while keeping the repayment plan affordable for the County.

COURT ORDERS
 
ROAD AND BRIDGE

3. Consider and take necessary action to approve the Advance Funding Agreement and a Resolution requesting participation in the Texas Department of Transportation Waiver of Local Match Fund Participation Requirement on Federal Off-System Bridge Program, for the in-kind equivalent for the scheduled replacement of the bridge located at CR 363 at Simpson Creek and authorize the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments: 

The Court approved an Advance Funding Agreement (AFA) with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the replacement of the bridge at CR 363 over Simpson Creek, as part of the Federal Off-System Bridge Program. The court also passed a resolution requesting a waiver from TxDOT, allowing us to meet the program’s 10% local match requirement of $67,268.88 through an in-kind contribution: the replacement of the bridge at CR 1139 over Indian Creek. That bridge is not scheduled for replacement until 2028. The estimated cost is $771,200. 

4. Discuss ongoing utility installations in the county rights of way.

FCIC

5. Consider and take necessary action to approve an amendment to the lease agreement with Commercial Vehicle Leasing, L.L.C d/b/a D&M Commercial Leasing for a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe in the amount of $6,020.15 and authorized the county judge to sign all related documentation.

Comments: 

On July 8, 2025, the Court approved a lease agreement with D&M Commercial Leasing for a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe, costing $81,117.12. However, that specific vehicle was no longer available, so a different Tahoe was chosen, increasing the lease cost to $87,137.27. This change added $6,020.15 to the original agreement. The court has now approved this amendment to cover the increased cost of the new vehicle. Funding for the FCIC primarily comes from state appropriations.

RECURRING BUSINESS
 
ROAD AND BRIDGE

6. Consider and take necessary action to authorize the county judge to sign the Final Plat for the Whiddon Addition, Precinct 3.

AUDITOR’S OFFICE

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

Comments: 

Budget Transfer Request from Justice of the Peace 1:
Transfer From Contingency: $15,000
Transfer To Autopsies: $15,000
Explanation: Cover deficit of $195.00 and upcoming autopsies.
FY25 Total for Autopsies for Justice of the Peace 1: $95,000 

FY2026 BUDGET WORKSHOP

8. Consider and discuss FY2026 recommended Budget.

Presentation by the Budget Officer, Kari Perkins

Expense Sheets, not the full budget, sent to Commissioners and Judge

Comments:

We tackled a budget that we haven’t seen since early June, and the process was a shameful display of secrecy that should outrage every taxpayer. This keeps people in the dark, and it’s unacceptable. 

Here’s why this closed-door nonsense must stop:

• The Expense Sheets were only sent to us on Thursday, July 24th, after repeated requests, and the Budget Officer didn’t even include a Recap – no picture of where we stand financially. This undermines trust and prevents us from doing our jobs properly.  
• On *Monday* at 12:57pm, we received a revised version emailed for Tuesday’s meeting, but it wasn’t shared with all the Department Heads or Elected Officials. These are the people who run our county, and they were intentionally left out, unable to review or fight for their budgets. That’s not just unfair, it’s disrespectful.  Can they individually talk to the Budget Officer to make changes? Yes, but that process eliminates the Court AND the public. The Court must approve the budget and the Department Heads/Elected Officials should be able to petition the court for changes to their budgets. The public has a right to know where their tax dollars are being spent and weigh in. 
• The public was completely shut out. The budget was missing from the Public Agenda Packet, leaving taxpayers clueless about what’s being decided with their money. How can you support or challenge something when the government hides it from you? This secrecy spits in the face of every citizen who deserves a voice. 
• To make matters worse, the budget wasn’t even uploaded to the internal share drive, deviating from standard procedure.  And this wasn’t just an oversight….

This process betrays the values of transparency and accountability. It shuts out stakeholders, ignores public voices, and weakens the foundation of open government. We should all be frustrated by this secretive approach. It’s time to demand a system that respects every taxpayer and lays all the cards on the table for everyone to see.

I’ve been working with the Budget Officer and Department Heads/Elected Officials to help craft a responsible budget that maximizes every dollar while maintaining excellent service across departments. This year presents unique challenges. Rising healthcare costs for employees and inmates, totaling approximately $11 million, significantly strain our revenue. Discussions are underway to reduce these costs, but the savings may not materialize until FY27. For FY26, we must address this substantial expense, which limits our ability to fund other critical needs. Below are the current financial estimates:

• Revenue Estimates: $113,585,388
• Expenditure Estimates: $120,079,723
• Deficit: $6,494,335

Our community deserves a budget process that is clear, accessible, and accountable to all. I’m committed to ensuring fiscal responsibility while advocating for transparency and fairness. 

COMING UP TUESDAY, AUGUST 5th IN COMMISSIONERS COURT:

As your Commissioner, I want to clarify the upcoming record vote on the tax rate at the next meeting of the Commissioners Court, as it’s easy to confuse this step with the final tax rate decision. In Texas, the process for setting property tax rates follows strict rules under the Texas Tax Code and Local Government Code, designed to ensure transparency and public input. This vote is not setting the final tax rate that will appear on your property tax bill. Instead, it’s a procedural step to establish a ceiling for the tax rate, ensuring compliance with state law. The final rate, set under Texas Local Government Code Sections 111.008 and 111.009, will determine the actual taxes you pay, based on your property’s appraised value (minus any exemptions) multiplied by the combined tax rate from the county, school districts, and other local entities. The final rate may be lower than or equal to the voter-approval tax rate but cannot exceed it without additional public hearings or, in some cases, an election, as required by Tax Code Section 26.07.

Since Department Heads and Elected Officials weren’t given a chance to speak to the court about their budgets, I’m hearing many plan to attend Tuesday’s meeting. I emailed our County Judge, Neal Franklin, to ask if they’ll be allowed to speak. Agenda Item 1 reads:

“1. Commissioners Court to discuss the tax rate; take a record vote and, if required, schedule the public hearing.”
His reply: “It will not be a budget workshop but they can always sign up to speak towards the item.”

That means they’ll have to fill out a Public Participation Form and follow court rules—just 3 minutes each. That’s not collaboration; that’s a muzzle. I don’t support sidelining our own team. I believe in teamwork, transparency, and integrity—not censoring the very people keeping our county running.

Judge Franklin also mentioned he plans to call a Special Meeting later this week since the Appraisal District amended the Certified Values. If he follows through, it’ll be a needed first move toward untangling this budget knot.

Please join me on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM at the Courthouse Annex located at 200 E. Ferguson in Tyler. Whether you can attend or not, please do pray for your elected officials. Thank you for joining me on this journey and being proactive in engaging with your government!