The Terry County Commissioners Court met in a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday morning, Aug. 26, 2024, with several items of business, however the meeting was short. After the call to order, invocation, and pledges the first item of business was to hear public comment. There was one public comment, which was from Mayor Eric Horton from the City of Brownfield. Horton would comment on item #5 which was to “Review and consider approving: The Interlocal Agreement with the City of Brownfield for the maintenance and management of the parks within the City of Brownfield.”
The City of Brownfield held its budget work sessions and brought a proposed budget to the City Secretary. Within the proposed city budget, the Parks & Recreation budget is proposed at $1,101,914.00 for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. $300,000.00 of the revenue for Parks & Recreation’s proposed budget comes from Terry County, which is about 27.2% of the Parks & Recreation budget revenue.
In 2004, Terry County requested the City of Brownfield to take over the parks and agreed to pay $0.3 (cents) per hundred-dollar valuation of its taxes. This agreement was established for ten years. In 2013 a revision to the interlocal agreement was made which extended the agreement for three more years with automatic one-year renewals unless either party provides a 90-day written notice of termination.
In the Terry County proposed budget, under “Park Services” there is $11,800 in expenditures compared to the current budget of $312,800. According to City Manager Jeff Davis, he believed the County took out the $300,000 to the city for parks & recreation. This prompted Davis to request that the interlocal agreement and himself be on the agenda for the Commissioners Court meeting. This also prompted Mayor Horton to speak during the public comments.
Mayor Horton said to the Court, “Recently I became aware that in the county’s proposed 2025 budget, there is a decrease in the park service expenditures, going from $312,800.00 to $11,800. $300,000 of the park service expenditures go to the city of Brownfield to help maintain the parks. I don’t think any of the Commissioners Court came to negotiate with the City of Brownfield. Perhaps, you might think that the $300,000 does not benefits the county. What is the county… who is the county? Well, it is made of almost 12,000 people who live here in Terry County. About 76% of Terry County citizens live in Brownfield… more than half of the residential property taxpayers live in Brownfield and that $300K benefits those who live in the City of Brownfield.” According to the 2020 Census, Brownfield has 8,936 citizens, and Terry County has a population of 11,831
Mayor Horton went on to say, “I understand the hardship that everyone is under, personally and business-wise. Maybe as city and county, we can come together and tackle the issues of unfunded mandates also… We know this contributes to these budget shortfalls that we all go through, whether it be the county, the city, for any other taxing entity. So I’m asking the Court today to reconsider the $300,000 and to please add it back into your budget.”
Moving on to the next few items, the Court approved the minutes from the previous meeting, to pay the bills and to accept bid notices for the Terry County Law Enforcement Center (TCLEC) roof. According to Sheriff Tim Click, the hail storm that took place in June of 2024 damaged the roof of the TCLEC. The Texas Association of Counties has been out to adjust the damages and now needs to go out for a company to fix the roof. The Court approved to advertise for bids for the repair of the TCLEC roof.
The Court moved on to item #5 which was to “Review and consider approving: The Interlocal Agreement with the City of Brownfield for the maintenance and management of the parks within the City of Brownfield.” Davis handed the Court a three-page briefing. Davis read from the briefing saying, “As the City Manager of Brownfield, I am honored to stand before you today to respectfully request an extension of our current interlocal agreement concerning the maintenance of our community parks. These parks are not just physical spaces; they are the heartbeat of our community—a sanctuary where residents of all ages come together, fostering connections, promoting well-being, and building a stronger, more vibrant community.”
Davis also showed the Court the impact of their partnership by including the contributions the City of Brownfield makes to the county. Which are:
- Utility Contribution: $9,447.09
- Ambulance Contribution: $295,000.00
- Museum Contribution: $3,959.00
- Terry County Senior Citizens Contribution: $15,000.00
- Probation Officer Contribution: $15,000.00
- Library Contribution: $13,150.00
- Law Enforcement Center Contribution: $56,000.00
- Volunteer Fire Department Contribution: $12,000.00
- 1/2 Cent Sales Tax (estimate): $610,000.00
Davis reiterated to the Court saying, “These contributions are not just numbers; they are investments in the health, safety, education, and cultural enrichment of every citizen in Terry County and Brownfield. Together, we have built a community where resources are pooled to serve the greater good—where every dollar spent is a dollar invested in our shared future.”
Also in the briefing, Davis added the history of the agreement between the City of Brownfield and Terry County, which “Outlines a longstanding partnership for the maintenance and operation of local parks.”
Here’s a summary of key points:
- 1953 Agreement: Terry County assumed responsibility for all park operations in exchange for an annual cash payment from the City of Brownfield. The City purchased land for Terry County, which would revert to the City if the park operation ceased. Coleman Park, though owned by the City, was also operated under this agreement.
- Payment Terms: Initially, the City agreed to pay 5 cents on the hundred- dollar valuation of its taxes, calculated based on 35% of the valuation. Even after laws required 100% valuation, the City continued to pay under the old system to avoid a significant increase in costs. The most recent payment was $27,226.
- Additional Contributions: Since 1999, the City also provided $7,000 annually to support prison labor in parks and repairs at the Alamo Event Center. Additionally, the City covers half of the utility bills for the parks, totaling about $25,000 in 2024. Overall, the City’s contributions exceed $60,000.
- New Parks: Jake Geron Park, the Mini-Park behind the museum, and Windmill Park have been added since the original agreement. These parks are owned and operated by the City.
- Park Board: The original agreement included a Park Board with private citizens overseeing the parks. However, in the 1980s, the Commissioner’s Court abolished the Park Board and assumed its duties.
- 2004 Interlocal Agreement: Terry County requested the City to take over the parks and agreed to pay 3 cents per hundred-dollar valuation of its taxes. A new interlocal agreement was established for ten years.
- 2013 Revision: The interlocal agreement was revised in 2013, extending it for three years with automatic one-year renewals unless either party provides a 90-day written notice of termination.
After Davis discussed some of the points, he said, “That’s really all I have unless y’all have any questions.” There was no reply from the commissioners or county judge for almost 30 seconds until Commissioner Mike Swain made the motion to table the item saying, “Judge I move we table this to discuss it by ourselves at a later date.” Commissioner Martin Lefevere seconded the motion. The Court voted in favor of tabling the item. According to Davis, the county has not rendered a 90 day written termination notice to the city. 90 days from the beginning of the 2024-2025 City of Brownfield fiscal budget, which begins October 1, 2024 would have been July 3, 2024.
The next item of business was to review and consider approving the TextMyGov Partnership Agreement for 2025. TextMyGov is a “smart texting” solution that eliminates the use of apps. It serves municipalities and counties across all 50 states and Canada, TextMyGov has developed a comprehensive database that logs all texts sent between the municipality and its citizens, ensuring compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). County Clerk Kim Carter, District Clerk Tiffany O’Briant, and County/District Attorney Jo’Shae Ferguson-Worley believe this will be a vital solution to their jobs and the citizens, especially for the grand jury, regular juries, and other issues when needing to speak with citizens. The Court approved the contract with TextMyGov and the county will begin with services on January 1, 2025.
They moved on to review and consider approving: amending the Interlocal Agreement for the establishment of the High Plains Regional Public Defender’s Office, which was a routine issue that there will be a satellite office in Levelland. The Court approved for the office to be located in Levelland.
The Court decided they would table the next item of business which was to review and consider approving the Terry County Subdivision and Manufactured Home Rental Community Regulations.
The final item of business was to review and consider approving the resolution renewing the Terry-Algodon Solar Reinvestment Zone. This was another routine item of business for the Court. The resolution established the boundaries of the Terry-Algodon Solar Reinvestment Zone and provided for an effective date, according to Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code. The resolution was approved.
