Tom Green County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tom Green County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Rabies surveillance in regional fox populations
Wildlife officials warned that a rabies outbreak is booming in Hayes and Comal counties, and the county is doing enhanced surveillance — testing gray fox brain stems — to keep it from returning to this area, which was the epicenter in the 1990s.
Texas Wildlife Services Annual Program Report
The state's new reporting system has been unusable since March, so the county hasn't received monthly trapper reports. The trapper provided interim numbers — 18 goats and 34 feral hogs taken — and described extensive screwworm surveillance work.
Local Provider Participation Fund (LPPF) Regulatory Updates
The county collects mandatory payments from Shannon and Compass hospitals to draw down federal Medicaid matching funds for uninsured care. The court cut the rate from 5% to 2.5% because the fund already holds $28 million against a projected $26 million need for 2027. Taxpayers don't pay this — the hospitals do, and the money returns to them for care.
County-Wide Burn Ban Extension
The county lifted its burn ban following recent rain, though officials warned residents to stay cautious as dry weather could return.
Economic development projects on City Farm Road and Gas Plant Road
The Chamber reports a buyer under contract for the vacant former lamb processing plant, and a steel products manufacturer under contract on 114 acres at Gas Plant Road that could hire roughly 300 people in phases, partnering with local schools and colleges on workforce training.
Local Provider Participation Fund Admin Fee Request
The county collects mandatory payments from Shannon and Compass hospitals to draw down federal Medicaid matching funds for uninsured care. The court cut the rate from 5% to 2.5% because the fund already holds $28 million against a projected $26 million need for 2027. Taxpayers don't pay this — the hospitals do, and the money returns to them for care.
Keyes Building Elevator Upgrade
The county is moving forward with passenger elevator upgrades at the Keyes Building, opening bids in December.
Historical Markers at W. Beauregard Ave
The county approved two new historical markers at 124 W. Beauregard Ave to honor Fess Elisha Parker, Jr. and the Norden Bombsight.
Economic Development Grant with Howard College
The county awarded an economic development grant using state unclaimed credits to help Howard College finish renovating its health professions training facility. This partnership helps train local students who often stay in San Angelo to work at local medical facilities like Shannon.
Specialty Court Counseling Services Transition to MHMR
The county renewed agreements with San Angelo to provide joint mental health deputies and crisis intervention services.
IT Data Backup Enhancement
The county is upgrading its data backup systems by purchasing a Veeam Backup Solution from Howard Industries for $123,620 through a purchasing cooperative. This ensures county data remains secure and recoverable.
County Copier Lease Upgrades
The county is replacing 15 copy machines across various departments through a cooperative purchasing contract. This upgrade ensures reliable office equipment for daily county operations.
Rural Public Transportation Agreement
Concho Valley Transit operates public transportation across a 16-county region, helping rural residents reach medical appointments and grocery stores despite high fuel costs and vast distances.
Goodfellow Air Force Base Infrastructure Support
The county is moving forward with a major defense grant project to remodel the South Gate guard house at Goodfellow Air Force Base.
Employee Health Insurance Renewal
HR Director Julie Radekin proposed adding a Roth option to the county's 457 retirement plan and increasing the maximum employee contribution limit for healthcare flexible spending accounts to align with federal guidelines ($3,400).
Christoval Replat
The court accepted the first replat in Block 28 of the Original Town of Christoval.
Sunset Vista RV Village Infrastructure Plan
The court approved the infrastructure development plan for the Sunset Vista RV Village in Precinct 4 and waived the paving requirements.
Grant Acceptances for Health and Veterans Services
The county accepted grant awards from the Health Foundation and the Texas Veterans Commission to fund local services.
Road Repair Equipment Purchase
The county approved purchasing new equipment for Road and Bridge precincts 2 and 4, including a John Deere rotary cutter and a Freightliner dump truck, using cooperative purchasing contracts.
Delinquent Court Fine Collections
Collection firm Purdue Brandon presented strong multi-year figures showing over $5.3 million collected and extensive docket clearance for Justice of the Peace courts, boosted by new text message outreach.
Rural Road and Culvert Resilience Planning
The county approved a $90,000 contract to repair a deteriorated concrete culvert on Mullins' Crossing Road. Officials noted that failing to make the repairs would force TxDOT to load zone the road, cutting off agricultural transport for 18-wheelers.
Federal and State Grant Applications
The county submitted a USDOT BUILD grant application to secure additional funding for a new bridge on Mineral Wells Road, supplementing existing community project funding.