At today’s meeting of the Brown County Commissioners Court, approval was given for the final payment for the renovations of the new building for the Brownwood/Brown County Health Department.  The Health Department is a joint venture of the City of Brownwood and the County of Brown, beginning in 1989.  For years the Department was located in a building on Lee Street.  After more than thirty years that building needed extensive repairs, and was no longer big enough for the Health Department.  The City and the County agreed to move the Health Department to a building owned by the City at 305 Booker Street, and agreed to evenly split the cost of renovations to the new building.  Today’s payment by the County was $80,261, bringing the final cost for the County’s half of the renovations to $857,349.

The Commissioners also were addressed by Brett McKibben, Chief Appraiser for the Brown County Appraisal District.  The Commissioners will soon begin planning for the 2025/2026 County budget, and wanted to know how much property tax revenue to expect.  While McKibben said he will not know the final property value appraisal total until July, he did say that there will be about $42 million worth of new property on the tax rolls, but that will be offset by a reduction in value of equipment at various industrial sites, due to depreciation and to equipment that is no longer in use.  McKibben expects the total value of taxable property in Brown County this year will be about the same as last year, or possibly a little higher.

The Commissioners reconsidered the County’s membership in NACO, the National Association of Counties.  This topic came up last month, and the Commissioners took no action at that time, with the thought that membership in NACO was not needed.  Precinct 2 Commissioner Joel Kelton asked the Court to reconsider the issue, saying that NACO represents Brown County at the national level, and affords us some group purchasing power.  Commissioners voted to renew the County’s membership in NACO at a cost of $752.

The Commissioners approved a request from the Brown County Water Improvement District for a crosswalk and signage on a County Road near the Lake Brownwood dam.  The Water District has been experiencing safety problems between pedestrians and vehicular traffic on Spillway Road, and constructed a sidewalk for the pedestrians.  At the District’s request, the Commissioners agreed to install safety signage and crosswalk marking paint.

In other business:

*** Commissioners agreed to leave the Burn Ban OFF for now.

*** Commissioners appointed County Sheriff Vance Hill as the Brown County Rabies Control Authority.  Hill will be responsible for rabies control in the unincorporated areas of the County.

*** Commissioners approved a Brown County Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan, planned to ensure that all County buildings with public access comply with ADA regulations by 2028.

*** Commissioners authorized County Judge Shane Britton to sign the Unclaimed Capital Credits for Brown County.  The capital credits are offered by the Texas Comptroller’s Office, and are unclaimed capital credits from various electric co-ops in Brown County.

*** Commissioners approved a request from District Attorney Michael Murray for the hiring of two new Assistant District Attorneys:  Ernesto Gamez (full-time), and Jordan Ketter (part-time).  Ketter’s salary will be paid with funds from Texas Senate Bill 22.

*** Commissioners approved the hiring of a new office manager in the County Extension Office, Rachel Howell.