What happened: The Midland County Commissioners Court met on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and debated whether to add Juneteenth (June 19) as a county holiday, reviewed the Horseshoe’s FY 2025 income statement showing a smaller operating loss than prior years, and received department updates from Facilities and IT.

Key points:

  • Road design: The court debated a proposed work authorization to improve drainage and pave West County Road 145. Villela said residents on the road call him when it rains, and he wants to reduce the number of caliche roads in his precinct.

Johnson objected to Villela choosing the engineering firm rather than following the county’s system after he disclosed his relationship with the firm’s owner. “Maybe you should recuse yourself from suggesting that the county pay them taxpayer money,” Johnson said. Villela replied, “I know a lot of people here in our community. So if we’re going to start recusing ourselves, I don’t think we’ll get anything done.”

Johnson also questioned the project’s financial logic, saying the road dead-ends, has limited public use, and that surrounding properties generate about $6,000 a year in county property taxes compared with an estimated $2 million in paving costs. “We need to set a policy before we just pick this one and do it,” he said. Villela responded, “We should pave roads that are county-owned and maintained.”

Villela clarified that the item before the court was not construction but a $122,000 design authorization, saying, “Judge, it’s $122,000.” Johnson responded that Villela previously opposed a $12,000 courthouse turnstile expense, adding, “You can’t have it both ways.” After hearing Public Works explain the county’s standard road planning process, Anderson urged sticking with that system. Villela agreed to table the item.

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  • Juneteenth holiday: The court discussed adding June 19 as a county holiday. County Judge Terry Johnson said he didn’t oppose the request but noted that it costs over a quarter of a million dollars each day the county is shut down. Multiple commissioners indicated they didn’t oppose the proposal but wanted time to gather more staff input and decide whether to add a 12th holiday or replace one already on the calendar.
  • Horseshoe income: The court reviewed a 10-year comparative income statement for the Midland County Horseshoe. The Horseshoe reported a net operating loss of $164,287 in fiscal year 2025, which the court noted was an improvement over prior-year losses.

Commissioner Dianne Anderson estimated the arena lost nearly $400,000 in revenue due to free rentals. She argued that without fee rebates and other non-charged items, the facility might show a profit. Commissioner Steven Villela described half of the $400,000 as a gift to community organizations and said the county has intentionally reduced “nickel and dimming” to support community use.

There is seemingly no clear court consensus on the purpose of the Horseshoe facility, whether it is an income earner, a community supporter, or both.

  • Department evaluations: The court discussed a proposed new evaluation process for department heads that would formally involve the full court. Under Villela’s concept, each commissioner would complete an individual evaluation. Those ratings would then be consolidated into a single official court evaluation, potentially compiled by the HR director, and delivered to department heads in executive session.

He said the court hires department heads, who answer to the court, and that the court should evaluate them. He argued that this system would enforce shared court expectations rather than placing the responsibility for evaluation on a single commissioner, as in the current process.

The HR Director raised concerns about practicality, while Johnson questioned whether one employee can realistically function with the sense that they must answer to multiple competing commissioner priorities. Villela tabled the proposal for further refinement and additional input. According to the Midland County website, there appear to be 17 department heads.