The Brownfield City Council addressed the proposed city budget and tax rate, received quarterly reports from two utility departments, approved an employee health insurance plan and discussed the future of Flock Safety cameras during its latest meeting.
Following the invocation and pledges, the council heard from two residents during the public-comment portion of the meeting.
Brit Shaw spoke about the proposed budget and asked the council to raise the city’s cost-of-living adjustment for employees from the proposed 2.4% to the national rate of 3.4%.
Shaw also questioned the city’s proposed $240,000 contribution to Brownfield Regional Medical Center’s emergency medical services. She said homeowners already pay property taxes that support the Terry Memorial Hospital District and expressed concern that the additional city contribution would mean taxpayers would pay twice. Shaw also voiced frustration over recent power interruptions.
Terry Duncan then addressed the council regarding Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras. Duncan said the cameras could be misused and presented several articles alleging that law enforcement officials elsewhere had used the technology improperly or for personal purposes.
Public hearing set for proposed city budget
The council scheduled a public hearing on the proposed 2026–2027 fiscal year budget for Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at 7:30 a.m., during its next regularly scheduled meeting.
The public hearing and final budget consideration may take place during the same meeting if both items are properly posted.
Council proposes lower property tax rate
The council formally proposed a 2026 property tax rate of $0.454575 per $100 of taxable property value. The proposed rate is the city’s certified no-new-revenue rate, which is designed to generate approximately the same amount of property tax revenue from properties taxed in both years.
The proposed rate is lower than last year’s rate of $0.469512 per $100 of valuation.
During the discussion, officials explained that the council could not propose the voter-approval rate of $0.485425. That rate would have generated an estimated additional $108,167.92 in revenue for the city.
Because the city’s independent audit for the 2024–2025 fiscal year was not finalized by the end of April 2026, state law required the city to proceed with the no-new-revenue rate.
The council voted to propose the $0.454575 rate, which is expected to return for final adoption at the Sept. 17 meeting.
Power and Light addresses recent electrical “blinks”
The council received and approved the Brownfield Power and Light quarterly report covering April 1 through June 30, 2026. Director of Electric Utilities Cat Gonzalez presented information concerning outages, the electrical distribution system, metering, power purchasing and departmental operations.
Gonzalez also updated the council on recent power “blinks” experienced across portions of Brownfield. She said one occurred on Sunday, Aug. 16, at approximately 5 p.m., followed by two additional incidents on Aug. 24.
Crews investigated the temporary interruptions and located a tree that had grown too close to a power line. The department trimmed the tree and is now taking a more proactive approach to vegetation management.
Trees located within six to eight feet of an electrical line will be cut back to provide the proper clearance. Officials acknowledged that some residents may be unhappy with the amount of trimming but emphasized that the work is necessary to protect the city’s electrical system and reduce future interruptions.
Crews have already trimmed trees east of Cedar Street and are moving westward through the circuit affected by the recent blinks. The effort will eventually extend throughout the city.
“We were trying not to upset people by trimming the trees back only a couple of feet,” Gonzalez said. “Now, we are going back to the original six-to-eight-foot clearance to keep this from happening.”
Gonzalez said one resident expressed frustration after a tree was trimmed, while several others thanked the crew and said they understood why the work was necessary.
Substation problems identified and repaired
The investigation also uncovered problems inside the city’s electrical substation. Gonzalez said the issues may date back to an earlier lightning strike that damaged a large transformer and affected a breaker connected to another main transformer.
The transformer adjusts electrical output as demand changes throughout the city. The problem became especially noticeable during the evening, when air conditioners and other appliances increased demand on the system.
Crews discovered that the breaker was an original Westinghouse unit, making it difficult to locate a compatible replacement. After finding the proper breaker, the city had it delivered overnight and installed it.
Further testing revealed that some of the breaker’s contacts were frozen. Outside assistance cleaned and repaired the contacts. Gonzalez said the breaker and transformer are now operating correctly, allowing the transformer to adjust voltage as designed.
Brownfield Power and Light records show that crews have responded to numerous electrical problems during 2026, including storm damage, blown transformer fuses, damaged service wires, failed transformers, downed lines and opened breakers.
The April report included a lightning strike affecting the breaker at Fourth and Buckley, along with a blown fuse on the 69-kilovolt side of the main substation transformer. Crews also responded to damaged transformers, burned electrical connections, wind damage and a broken crossarm and primary jumper.
Reports from May and June documented additional storm damage, transformer replacements, blown fuses, damaged service lines and opened breakers at several locations.
Officials noted that not every power blink can be prevented. Wildlife, particularly squirrels, can enter electrical equipment and trip breakers. The department has reprogrammed some breakers and is installing wildlife protection devices on transformers that do not already have them.
Mayor Pro Tem J.C. Tijerina asked how long residents had been experiencing the interruptions. Officials explained that previous blinks had resulted from several causes, including storms, vegetation, equipment failures and wildlife.
Crews will continue trimming trees near power lines and making other improvements intended to reduce preventable interruptions.
Water Department reports major repairs and new equipment
Water and Wastewater Supervisor James Nix presented the department’s quarterly report covering April, May and June.
During the quarter, crews completed several major excavations and repairs across Brownfield. Work took place at the following locations:
- Main Street and Peach Street
- D Street and Lons Street
- Sixth Street and Magnolia Street
- Sixth Street and Legion Street
- Pine Street and Tate Street
- Lake Street and C Street
- Tate Street and Cedar Street
- First Street and Ripley Street
- Brownfield Chamber of Commerce
- Coleman Park
The project at First and Ripley, near Sonic Drive-In, required a nighttime rebuild involving two four-inch lines. Crews also completed meter and sewer repairs at the Brownfield Chamber of Commerce.
Department employees located 192 utility requests submitted through the state’s “Call Before You Dig” system. Crews also handled 65 work orders that were opened, completed or voided during the quarter.
Atmos Energy continued rehabilitating gas lines throughout southeastern Brownfield. The Water Department worked alongside that project to locate utilities and address related infrastructure needs.
Personnel changes announced
The Water and Wastewater Department reported several staffing changes during the quarter.
Austin Christesson was promoted to assistant superintendent, while John Soto was promoted to Water Department foreman and in-house mechanic. The city also hired Roel Longoria Jr. to join the department.
The city ended its relationship with UniFirst as the department’s uniform provider.
New vacuum truck placed into service
The department received a new vacuum truck during the quarter. The specialized vehicle assists crews with sewer maintenance and repairs by removing wastewater, sludge and other materials.
The new truck was displayed at two community Touch-a-Truck events, giving children and families an opportunity to see some of the equipment used by city employees.
Brownfield crews also assisted the City of Levelland with sewer operations. Other equipment work included replacing transmission wiring on one department vehicle and repairing broken glass and a leaking hydraulic cylinder on a backhoe.
Power outage temporarily interrupts water supply
A Canadian River Municipal Water Authority power outage temporarily stopped water from flowing to Brownfield for approximately six hours on May 15.
The report did not indicate that the interruption caused any long-term problems with Brownfield’s water system.
Department employees also assisted Terry County with issues around the courthouse, repaired a leaking irrigation line at the city’s Multi-Use Field and hosted the Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors program on June 11.
The council approved the department’s quarterly report.
Council approves employee health insurance plan
The council received an initial presentation from Brinson Benefits concerning the city’s employee benefits plan for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
During previous budget sessions, City Manager Jeff Davis informed the council that the city’s initial health insurance renewal quote reflected an increase of approximately 40%. The city explored additional options in hopes of finding more affordable coverage, and Davis prepared the proposed balanced budget using an anticipated 20% increase.
After reviewing other options, the city secured the same health insurance coverage with a rate increase of approximately 10%. However, employee deductibles and out-of-pocket costs will increase by about $1,000.
The council approved the new insurance rate.
Mayor Eric Horton noted that the proposed balanced budget included a 20% insurance increase, while the city’s total insurance cost is now expected to rise by approximately 13%. Horton asked whether one percentage point of the resulting savings could be added to the proposed employee cost-of-living adjustment, increasing it from 2.4% to the national COLA rate of 3.4%.
Davis said he believed the proposed adjustment would be possible.
Council discusses Flock camera oversight
The council also discussed the use and oversight of Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras, including privacy protections, authorized access, data-sharing policies and recent action by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Brownfield Police Chief Chris Kotzur explained that the Flock cameras currently operating in the community belong to Terry County. Because the county owns and operates the cameras, the Brownfield Police Department does not have direct access.
BPD had been scheduled to add more Flock cameras for local law enforcement use. Those plans were put on hold after Abbott took action on Aug. 28, 2026, blocking state-funded grants for the cameras.
Kotzur said the department is now in a holding pattern as it waits for further direction from the governor’s office and the State of Texas.
Flock cameras photograph vehicle license plates and record information such as a vehicle’s location, identifying characteristics, date and time of travel. Law enforcement agencies may use the information to investigate stolen vehicles, locate wanted suspects, and assist with other criminal investigations.
The technology has also raised concerns about who may access the information, how long the data is retained and whether it may be shared with other agencies. Audit controls and other safeguards are intended to ensure the system is used only for legitimate law enforcement purposes.
Kotzur reiterated that the Police Department will follow the council’s direction. If council members ultimately decide not to allow additional cameras, he said he will respect and carry out that decision.
The council discussed the Flock camera item only and took no formal action.
The Council then voted to appoint four individuals to the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool Board of Trustees.
The meeting was adjourned, and the next meeting is slated for Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 7:30 am in the Council Chamber at City Hall.
