Photo credit: Midland County

What to watch: The Midland County Commissioners Court will meet Monday, Sept. 14, to adopt the final fiscal year 2026-27 county budget and property tax rate. Under the proposed budget and the proposed no-new-revenue tax rate, the median homestead tax bill would increase by about $2.

Commissioners will also consider a construction contract for the new $41 million Juvenile Justice Center and decide whether the county employees’ health plan will cover GLP-1 weight-loss medications, which commissioners were told played a large part in increasing the county’s employee health coverage payment by $1.5 million over last year.

Key items:

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  • Budget and tax rate: Department heads and elected officials may make final requests on the proposed budget before commissioners vote to adopt the final version. Commissioners will then vote to adopt the tax rate they previously discussed as the no-new-revenue rate.

The no-new-revenue rate is calculated to generate roughly the same amount of property tax revenue from properties taxed in both years, with revenue from new construction added on top. For the median-valued home, the county says its property tax bill would go up about $2 annually.

  • Juvenile Justice Center: Commissioners may approve a construction agreement to build the county’s new Juvenile Justice Center, replacing the current Barbara Culver Juvenile Center. In May, the county estimated the project at roughly $24 million for 24 beds initially, with the structure built to expand to 40 beds.

However, shortly after, county staff proposed building the expanded portion now rather than adding it later, increasing the proposed project’s cost to about $41 million for a 40-bed facility.

  • Employee, retiree health insurance: Commissioners will consider whether to cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss under the county’s employee health insurance plan. A consultant previously told commissioners the county employee health plan is on pace to spend $2.6 million on GLP-1 weight-loss medications this plan year, up from $1.1 million in 2025.

He said that without changes, rising medical and prescription costs would push the health-plan budget to $15.5 million. He also proposed moving employees who use GLP-1 drugs for weight loss into a managed, direct-to-consumer program rather than covering those prescriptions under the standard county health plan. He estimated the change would produce approximately $1.2 million in net savings.

The court may also tighten eligibility for the county’s retiree health insurance program, requiring at least four cumulative years of county service. The agenda does not specify the current eligibility threshold.

  • County building renovations: Commissioners may act on four proposals tied to two county buildings under renovation at 509 North Loraine and 608 Main Street. The court will also consider data and physical security systems at both buildings.

Commissioner Steven Villela told The Permian Press that both buildings are currently vacant and need to undergo renovations to be up to code for use. He said the Loraine building will primarily be used for records storage the county is legally required to retain, while the county is still determining the best use for the building on Main.

  • County Fair funding: Commissioners will decide how much funding the county may provide the Midland County Fair. Last year, fair staff said the marketing costs totaled about $130,000, which the fair paid for through hotel/motel tax grants. Organizers estimated the fair generated roughly $2 million in tourism revenue.
  • Constable, warrant staffing: Commissioners may approve appointing a new courthouse security deputy under Constable Precinct 4 Jamie Hall and authorize a vehicle for the constables’ courthouse security deputies. The court was previously split over whether the Sheriff’s Office or the four constables should provide security at the new Courthouse Annex building.

Commissioners will also consider opening an immediate job posting for an Inspection Division deputy under Constable Precinct 3 and may move forward with hiring a Chief of Warrant Services.

  • Medical Examiner’s Office: The court may reclassify the Medical Examiner’s Office Lead Investigator Tracy Karst-Culler from non-exempt to exempt status, an FLSA designation that affects overtime eligibility, as well as consider a standard operating procedure for the office.