The Terry County Commissioners Court held a regular scheduled meeting on Tuesday morning, October 14th, 2025. The meeting was moved from Monday to Tuesday due to the Columbus Day Holiday. After the invocation, pledges, public comment (there were none), approving the previous meeting’s minutes, and paying the bills, the Court took to the agenda.
First, the Court reviewed and approved the monthly reports for the county offices. According to the County Judges’ office, in September 2025, there were 11 disposed criminal cases and nine new criminal cases. There were no new civil cases and no civil cases disposed of.
Moving on to the Justice of the Peace September 2025 reports. According to Judge Angie Garza, the court’s total revenue of $44,988.10 was brought in. In monetary fees, there was $6,600.58 in cash, $3,363.00 in checks, $3,586.00 in money orders, and $29402.02 in direct deposits. In non-monetary fees, the JP showed $1,957.20 in jail credit.
In the sheriff’s reports for September 2025, there were a total of 162 calls reported. Of these, five were classified as emergencies, while 157 were non-emergency calls. One offense was reported involving possession of a controlled substance in penalty group 3, under 28 grams, and this offense was cleared.
During this period, the department received nine civil filings, seven of which originated from Terry County and two from other counties. Of these filings, five were served. The sheriff’s office reported receiving 17 warrants, with 13 coming from the District Court and four from Terry County Court. Thirteen warrants were served, and four remain outstanding.
The Sheriff’s Department made 10 arrests. Three of these arrests were for no driver’s license, two were for public intoxication, and one was for criminal mischief involving damages over $2,500 but under $30,000. There was also one arrest each for the following offenses: possession of a controlled substance (penalty group 3, under 28 grams); driving while intoxicated (DWI); injury to a child, elderly person, or disabled individual with the intent to cause bodily injury; causing serious bodily injury, or serious mental deficiency or impairment to a child, elderly person, or disabled individual; tampering with or fabricating physical evidence with the intent to impair; and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The Court held a public hearing on the Airport Project implementation, organized through the TxDOT Aviation Division. This division plays a vital role in assisting cities and counties in obtaining and managing federal and state funds for reliever and general aviation airports as part of the comprehensive 300-airport Texas Airport System Plan (TASP). Furthermore, the division’s involvement in the FAA State Block Grant Program demonstrates its commitment to enhancing general aviation airports across the state.
After the public hearing, the Court moved forward by appointing members to the sponsor’s consultant selection committee, indicating a proactive approach to the project’s development. It’s worth noting that there were no public comments during the hearings, which highlights the opportunity for community engagement in future discussions.
The Court reviewed and approved the 2026 Terry County Resolution for the Indigent Defender Grant Program. For the 2026 fiscal year, Texas indigent defense grants are mainly managed by the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) and are distributed through a formula grant system. The application deadline is November 14, 2025. County commissioners’ courts, which must pass a resolution to apply for funding, have either already made these decisions or are in the process of doing so. For instance, Polk County has accepted a grant to establish a public defender’s office.
There are various grant programs available, including formula grants for all counties and specific improvement or extraordinary disbursement grants for projects like specialty courts or for counties experiencing a sudden increase in indigent defense costs.
The next item of business was to review and consider approving an amendment to a previous land purchase agreement dated August 11, 2025. In a story reported by TownTalk on August 12, 2025, (related story), the Court approved the purchase of a 0.241-acre lot in Meadow. The property is described as “BLK 9 LOT 17 THE N/2 & ALL OF LOT 18 ORIGINAL TOWN OF MEADOW BLK/TRACT 9.” This lot was acquired to provide additional space for the Precinct 2 equipment located to the east. The Court initially approved the purchase for $50,000. However, the Court has now decided to amend the purchase to buy the land for $25,000 instead of $50,000. The Court approved this amendment pending all legal aspects of the real property purchase.
The final item of business was a report from Adrian Martinez, the board president of Brownfield Senior Citizens Inc. In July 2025, the Brownfield Senior Center ceased serving food to senior citizens, which motivated many community members to take action to revive the center. A new board was established, and according to Martinez, the senior center is now once again serving meals and hosting events.
The meeting was adjourned. Present at the meeting were County Judge Tony Serbantez and Commissioners Myron Bovkoon, Richard Cavazos, Martin Lefevere, Ernesto Elizardo, along with County Clerk Kim Carter. The next meeting is scheduled for October 27th at 9:00 AM in the court chambers located in the basement of the Terry County Courthouse.
