What happened: The Midland County Commissioners Court met on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and proposed holding the county property tax rate at the no-new-revenue level, which would still allow the county to collect $4 million more than last year due to new construction. Commissioners also spent nearly eight hours over two days working through department requests and deciding what to add, cut, or leave till a later meeting in the 2026-27 budget.

Commissioners rejected Sheriff David Criner’s requests for additional administrative positions and higher jailer pay grades, restored a countywide chip-seal road program, debated $3 million set aside for the Midland County Utility District (MCUD), and left several major employee pay and benefit decisions for later. The court also hired an Odessa law firm to represent the county in two lawsuits involving County Judge Terry Johnson.

Key points:

  • Property tax rate: Commissioners proposed setting the property tax rate at the no-new-revenue level. That rate collects roughly the same amount from properties that were on the tax roll last year, but adds taxes from new construction. The county auditor said she expects total property tax collections to grow from about $78 million to $82 million. Commissioners will adopt the final budget and tax rate in September.
  • Outside lawyers for two cases: Commissioners hired an Odessa law firm to represent Midland County in two cases involving the county and Johnson. County Attorney Russell Malm emphasized that the attorneys will represent Midland County, not Johnson personally. Commissioner Steven Villela said the county needed representation because failing to appear in the cases would result in the county being found liable by default.
  • $3M for MCUD: Commissioners debated whether to leave $3 million in the budget for MCUD. Villela moved to remove it, arguing MCUD serves one portion of the county while the money comes from all county taxpayers. Commissioner Jeff Sommers argued the $3 million is for a water main along Highway 307 to reach customers and generate revenue.

Commissioner Dianne Anderson asked whether the money could be a loan, as the county did with its previous $5 million contribution. The dispute ended without a vote after the auditor clarified that putting $3 million in the budget does not give the money to MCUD. Commissioners would still have to approve a contract before spending the money. The $3 million remains set aside but uncommitted.

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  • Countywide road program: Commissioners put $4.5 million back into the county’s summer chip-seal program, using savings identified elsewhere in the budget. The county’s public works director said the chip-seal program began in 2023 and has covered roughly 70 to 110 miles at a time. With this round, the county expects to reach all county roads they haven’t already scheduled for reconstruction.
  • Prescription costs surge: A consultant 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. Without changes, rising medical and prescription costs would push the health-plan budget to $15.5 million.

The consultant proposed increasing employee premiums and said Midland County currently ranks in the bottom 10% of Texas employers in employee premiums. He cautioned that keeping employee and retiree costs flat shifts more of the increase to taxpayers.

  • Sheriff’s requests rejected: Commissioners rejected Criner’s request to increase jailer pay grades, which would have raised the starting pay to about $71,000, according to figures discussed by the court. They also denied requests for a new captain and administrative assistant, as well as a roughly $10,000 proposal to convert three patrol corporal positions into sergeant positions.

Commissioners split over a $300,000 mobile command post. Villela sought to remove the money after saying he had been told earlier that the county would not have to fund the purchase, but his motion failed on a 2-2 vote, leaving the allocation in the budget.

  • $500K sheriff’s grant: Commissioners also debated how the Sheriff’s Office should use $500,000 in annual state funding provided through Senate Bill 22. Criner said he wants to use the money to restore a larger pay advantage for sheriff’s deputies, whose roughly $80,000 pay is now close to the approximately $79,000 paid to constable deputies.

Commissioner Charles Hall moved to return the money to the salary structure. District Attorney Glenn Harwood questioned whether commissioners can dictate how another elected official spends the state funding. At the same time, Villela argued the grant application approved by the court designates the money for salaries. Hall’s motion passed.

  • Court employee pay: District judges asked commissioners to address employees who have reached the maximum pay allowed under their salary grade and therefore do not benefit from across-the-board raises. Commissioners discussed instead giving employees who have topped out their salary grade a lump-sum payment equivalent to the raise. Commissioners made no decision and will revisit the issue.
  • Constable deputies: Constables requested additional patrol deputies and equipment, including vehicles costing roughly $99,000 to $102,000 each. Commissioners placed the requests on their budget “want list” for consideration after settling final budget numbers.