Photo credit: Midland Memorial Hospital

What to watch: The Midland County Hospital District Board of Directors will meet Thursday, Oct. 29, to hear a presentation on Flock Safety license plate recognition cameras, two weeks after Midland City Council voted to end its contract with the company.

Trustees will also consider appointments to two regional mental health boards, changes to a mental health services contract and construction projects at Midland Memorial Hospital.

Key points:

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  • Flock cameras: Chief McNeill will present information on Flock Safety license plate recognition cameras. The agenda does not say whether the hospital district currently uses the cameras, is considering installing them or plans to take any action.

On Oct. 13, Midland City Council unanimously voted to end its Flock contract, affecting 73 stationary cameras and two portable units that are not in use.

City staff said more than 200 other Flock cameras in Midland belong to other public entities, businesses and homeowners associations. Those cameras are not affected by the city’s decision.

In August, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to pause funding for Flock cameras. Several Texas cities and counties have also ended or declined to renew their contracts, The Permian Press reported.

  • Mental health board appointments: Trustees will consider appointing or reappointing three directors to the Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center board.

They will also consider appointing or reappointing Russell Meyers, Marcy Madrid and Stephen Bowerman to positions 2, 4 and 6 on the Permian Basin Mental Health Services District board.

  • Mental health services contract: Trustees will consider changes to the Mental Health Services Contract governing how sponsoring hospital districts recover money they contributed to the Permian Basin Mental Health Services District. The agenda does not include the proposed changes or dollar amounts.
  • Hospital construction: Trustees will consider a construction budget for radiology equipment and a renovation of the Scharbauer Tower lobby. Both items are on the consent agenda, which allows routine items to be approved together. The agenda does not list costs for either project.
  • Finances and taxes: Trustees will review September financial statements and property tax collections, along with quality, audit and marketing updates.

Last month, the district proposed a property tax rate about 25.6% higher than last year’s rate. The district has since posted a notice that it adopted a tax rate that will raise about 8% more for maintenance and operations than last year’s rate, or about $7.73 on a $100,000 home.”

However, the average taxable homestead value in the district fell nearly 17%, offsetting much of the increase. Under the proposed rate, the average homeowner’s annual hospital district tax bill would rise from $177.39 to $185.12, an increase of about $8.