10-13-2026 Commissioners Court

Erath County Commissioners Court met on October 13, 2026. The court approved renewing group medical coverage with TAC/Blue Shield, selecting option one rather than switching to Gravy, which was presented as roughly $300,000 less expensive but carried concerns about first-year renewal stability and provider disruption. The selected renewal was described as an 8.58% increase. The court also approved renewing the other insurance lines; dental had a small increase, from 2,653 to 3,254 as stated in the transcript, while other lines were reported as flat. Regular recurring invoices and line-item transfers were approved. Other spending actions included authorizing EMS to upfit a leased Tahoe through local vendor 1836 Upfitters for $22,313.54, approving an approximately $1,300 district clerk laptop, and approving an additional $2,000 for a Sheriff’s Office ice maker. The court continued its outside audit services agreement with I. Bailey and approved a tax-collection agreement with Santo ISD; no amounts were stated for those agreements.

The court approved a resolution expressing its position on proposed data centers, including opposition to certain high-volume water-use cooling systems and calling for safeguards for water, the electric grid, communications, lighting, noise, roads, and surrounding land. Officials noted the county’s limited authority under state law and described the resolution as a starting point for further discussion with state lawmakers. The court also approved a volunteer fire department boundary layer for dispatch, and deferred action on a proposed outside-employment policy for county employees pending review. Public comments raised concerns about data-center development, surveillance cameras, and county officials; no related procurement action was taken on those comments.