What happened: The Midland County Commissioners Court met on May 6, 2025

Why it matters: The court reviewed progress under the Vision Zero road safety initiative, received a mid-year report from the Horseshoe Arena, and voted to rebid the county’s vehicle maintenance contract.

Key points:

  • Vision Zero: Commissioners reviewed crash data from the Vision Zero Midland County initiative, which is funded by a $200,000 Safe Streets for All federal grant awarded in 2022. The program aims to eliminate traffic deaths by 2050 by targeting high-crash corridors, especially south of I-20. Fatal crashes dropped from 28 in 2022 to 6 in 2024. Completed projects include resurfacing County Road 1270 and extending County Road 130, with additional improvements planned at SH 715 and CR 120, as well as CR 307 and CR 1379.

  • Horseshoe Arena: The court received the first and second quarter operations report from the Horseshoe Arena, which hosted 130 events and drew more than 101,000 attendees. Revenue totaled $484,000, plus $9,000 from non-event use. Commissioners approved $52,000 in waived rental fees. Recent improvements included a roof replacement, a renewed marketing partnership with Visit Midland, and updated rental policies that clarify cleaning and equipment charges. The facility adopted a new mission statement focused on driving economic growth and community pride.

  • Recycling event: Commissioners reviewed the results of the Claim the Clutter recycling event, which collected 6.23 tons of household waste, 1,153 tires, and 118 gallons of used motor oil. Following the event’s success, the county plans to place roll-off dumpsters in targeted areas on a quarterly basis to combat illegal dumping. The next community recycling event is scheduled for November in honor of Texas Recycle Day.

  • Vehicle maintenance: Commissioners voted to issue a request for proposal to rebid the county’s vehicle maintenance contract, which has been held by Vector Fleet Management since 2013. Concerns were raised about billing transparency and the overall effectiveness of the current service model for the county’s fleet of 381 vehicles. The court may consider hybrid service options involving local providers. Judge Terry Johnson abstained from the vote.