Midland County to propose property tax rate, review budget

What to watch: The Midland County Commissioners Court will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to hold a public hearing on its proposed 2026-27 budget and propose the county’s property tax rate.

Commissioners will also consider hiring an outside law firm to represent the county in two lawsuits, filling the Chief of Warrant Services position, and formally accepting and recording County Judge-Elect Jay Marquez’s bond and oath ahead of his term beginning in January.

Key points:

• Property tax rate, budget: The court will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2026-27 county budget and propose an accompanying property tax rate. Department heads and elected officials will also bring budget requests for commissioners to consider. Last year, the county’s final budget reduced the average homeowner’s county tax bill by about 6%.

• Outside lawyers for two cases: The court will consider hiring an Odessa law firm to represent Midland County in two lawsuits involving County Judge Terry Johnson. The county would pay the firm to represent the county’s interests in the litigation, not Johnson personally.

• New Chief of Warrant Services: The court will consider hiring a new Chief of Warrant Services.

• Next county judge: On the consent agenda, the court will acknowledge the bond and oath of County Judge-Elect Jay Marquez, who won the Republican runoff in May and faces no Democratic opponent in November, effectively making him the next county judge. His four-year term would formally begin in January.

• New county jail: The court will consider a construction change order for the new 230,000-square-foot, $170 million Gary Painter Detention Center. A change order modifies an existing construction contract.

• Sheriff’s grant, deputy pay: The court will consider approving the Sheriff’s Office’s application for Senate Bill 22 funding. The state program, created by the Legislature in 2023, provides money to counties with fewer than 300,000 residents for sheriff’s office salaries and equipment. Commissioners will separately consider the Sheriff’s Office fiscal year 2027 pay schedule.

• Juvenile Justice Center: The court will consider a work order for platting and surveying the site of the new Juvenile Justice Center, the planned $42-$43 million, 40-bed facility that will replace the current Barbara Culver Juvenile Center.

• Courthouse security constables: The court will consider appointing deputy constables for Precincts 1, 2, and 3 to provide security at the county’s new Justice of the Peace courthouse annex. Who should provide security and how many deputies are needed have been recurring points of dispute in court.