What happened: Midland County Commissioners Court met Monday, Sept. 14, to adopt its $248 million fiscal year 2026-27 budget and no-new-revenue property tax rate, approve a $46.4 million contract to build a new 40-bed Juvenile Justice Center, and change county employee and retiree health benefits.

Commissioners also approved funding for the Sheriff’s Office annual Halloween event, a permit for a Paramount Plus production to film on a county road, and additional work on two county buildings undergoing renovations.

Key points:

  • Budget adopted, tax rate set: The court unanimously adopted the $248 million fiscal year 2026-27 budget and a no-new-revenue property tax rate. The no-new-revenue rate is designed to collect roughly the same amount of property tax revenue from properties taxed in both years. However, individual tax bills can still rise or fall depending on changes in property values and exemptions.

The county’s taxable property values declined, so it needs a higher tax rate to generate roughly the same revenue. The county says it will also use some of its accumulated reserves for major one-time investments rather than relying entirely on new debt. Overall, the budget includes nearly $73 million in capital spending, including $46 million for Road and Bridge projects.

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The budget also includes a 2% cost-of-living raise for employees who have worked for the county for at least one year as of Oct. 1. Employees with at least five years of service are also eligible for a 2% raise on their employment anniversary. Employees on the county’s public safety pay scale will not receive the cost-of-living raise but will be eligible for a 4% anniversary raise.

  • $46.4M Juvenile Justice Center: Commissioners unanimously approved a $46.4 million guaranteed maximum price to build the county’s new 40-bed Juvenile Justice Center. Construction is expected to begin Nov. 2 and take approximately 18 months. The facility will be built on the same 234-acre property the county purchased about five years ago that also houses the new county jail.

The $46.4 million construction agreement includes furniture and some equipment for the secure portion of the facility. The county will need to budget separately for additional furniture and equipment for non-secure areas.

  • Health benefit changes: Commissioners unanimously changed the county’s retiree health insurance policy to require at least four total years of county service before employees qualify for retiree health benefits, effective immediately.

Commissioner Dianne Anderson said the county has had employees retire from other employers, work for Midland County briefly, and then retire again with access to county benefits. The four years do not have to be consecutive, meaning previous years of county employment still count toward the requirement.

Commissioners also changed how the county will cover GLP-1 medications prescribed for weight loss beginning Jan. 1. Affected employees will move into a managed weight-loss program that requires monthly physician visits and provides broader weight-management support. The change does not apply to employees prescribed GLP-1 medications for other medical conditions, including diabetes.

  • Sheriff’s Halloween event approved 4-1: Commissioners approved spending $2,729 for the Sheriff’s Office Halloween event scheduled for Oct. 17, with Commissioner Charles Hall voting against the expense. The event was originally budgeted at $10,000 but was removed as commissioners cut $30,000 from the Sheriff’s Office’s community relations and recruiting funding during budget discussions.
  • Paramount Plus filming: Commissioners approved a permit for a Paramount Plus production called “The Summers” to film on South County Road 1160 on Oct. 27. The production company will pay for off-duty law enforcement officers to provide traffic control during filming. A location manager told commissioners that traffic will be stopped only intermittently for a few hours, as needed.
  • 509 North Loraine renovation: Commissioners approved additional work on the county’s 509 North Loraine property, which is being converted into records storage. The work includes data and physical security improvements, as well as repairs for structural issues discovered during demolition that require additional architectural, steel, and masonry work to stabilize a wall and support elevator installation.
  • 608 Main Street renovation: Commissioners approved additional renovation, technology, and security work at 608 Main Street to bring the vacant county building up to code and prepare it for use. The work includes installing an elevator, bringing restrooms and doorways up to current code, and upgrading the electrical system. Commissioners also approved cameras, controlled-access doors, and routers.