Wilson County

January 26, 2026

Executive Summary

The Wilson County Commissioners' Court will convene a public hearing and discuss adopting a revised Tax Abatement Policy. Key actions include reorganizing county departments, renewing a boat agent agreement, and approving a fiber line installation. The court will also address the Violent Crimes Against Women Act grant, a jail commissary audit, and potentially implement a burn ban.

Key Topics

Constituent Highlights

Public hearing and potential adoption of changes to the County Tax Abatement Policy.
Discussion on whether to implement a burn ban, impacting outdoor activities.
Reports and updates from the Sheriff's Office and Fire Marshal.
Opportunity for public comments at the beginning of the meeting.

Official Highlights

Review and adoption of the revised Tax Abatement Policy requires careful consideration of economic development implications.
The departmental reorganization requires clear understanding of the new reporting structure for Health and Safety.
Approval of the Violent Crimes Against Women Act grant resolution involves programmatic and financial commitments.
The Jail Commissary Audit may lead to operational or policy changes within the sheriff's department.

Resumen Ejecutivo

La Corte de Comisionados del Condado de Wilson celebrará una audiencia pública y discutirá la adopción de una Política de Abatimiento de Impuestos revisada. Las acciones clave incluyen la reorganización de los departamentos del condado, la renovación de un acuerdo de agente de embarcaciones y la aprobación de la instalación de una línea de fibra. La corte también abordará la subvención de la Ley de Crímenes Violentos contra Mujeres, una auditoría del comisionado de la cárcel y la posible implementación de una prohibición de quemas.

Temas Clave

Puntos Destacados

Audiencia pública y posible adopción de cambios en la Política de Abatimiento de Impuestos del Condado.
Discusión sobre si implementar una prohibición de quemas, lo que impacta las actividades al aire libre.
Informes y actualizaciones de la Oficina del Sheriff y del Mariscal de Bomberos.
Oportunidad para comentarios públicos al inicio de la reunión.

Key Items

Items with direct public relevance

ID	Description	Cost	Impact	Tags
6	▶ Public Hearing: Tax Abatement Policy		significant	economic-development
	Conduct a public hearing regarding changes to the Wilson County Tax Abatement Policy and adopt the revised policy. Speaker: Gary Martin, Commissioner Pet. #1
7	▶ Reorganization of County Departments		notable	personnel public-safety
	Discuss and take action to reorganize county departments by placing the Health and Safety Department under the supervision of the County Fire Marshal. Speaker: Russell King, Commissioner Pet. #2
9	▶ DMY County Network Fiber Line Installation	$5,800.00	notable	technology infrastructure
	Discuss and take action on the State of Texas upgrade to the DMY County network fiber line installation from D Street into the Tax Office building. Speaker: Henry L. Whitman, Jr., County Judge; Dawn Polasek Barnett, County Tax Assessor-Collector
12	▶ Violent Crimes Against Women Act Grant Resolution		notable	budget legal public-safety
	Discuss and take action on a resolution for the 2026-2027 Violent Crimes Against Women Act Grant. Speaker: Henry L. Whitman, Jr., County Judge; Brenda Trevino, County Auditor
15	▶ Wilson County Jail Commissary Audit		notable	budget public-safety
	Discuss and take action on the Wilson County Jail Commissary Audit. Speaker: Gary Martin, Commissioner Pet. #1
16	▶ Burn Ban Status		notable	public-safety environment
	Discuss and take action on placing the County in a Burn Ban. Speaker: Henry L. Whitman, Jr., County Judge; Carl Fowner, Fire Marshal

Routine Items (18 items — click to expand)

ID	Description	Tags
1	▶ Call meeting to order schedule
	Begin the meeting by calling it to order.
2	▶ Pledge to the American and Texas Flag
	Recite the pledges to the American and Texas flags.
3	▶ Public Comments
	Opportunity for the public to make comments.
4	▶ Certificates of Completion, Awards and Bond Continuations
	Review and approve certificates of completion, awards, and bond continuations.
5	▶ Extension Activity Report
	Receive a report on extension activities.
8	▶ Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. Boat Agent Agreement Renewal	legal
	Discuss and take action on renewing the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department County Boat Agent Agreement. Speaker: Henry L. Whitman, Jr., County Judge; Dawn Polasek Barnett, County Tax Assessor-Collector
10	▶ Rural Ambulance Grant Program (H.B. 3000)	budget health
	Discussion only regarding the Rural Ambulance Grant Program (H.B. 3000). Speaker: Henry L. Whitman, Jr., County Judge
11	▶ Precinct 2 Maintainer Salvage Material	budget infrastructure
	Discuss and take action on a Precinct 2 maintainer accepted through TERP program to become salvage material. Speaker: Russell King, Commissioner Pet. #2
13	▶ Toshiba Financial Services Copier Lease Agreement	budget technology
	Discuss and take action to ratify and approve a five-year copier lease agreement with Toshiba Financial Services and authorize payment and performance. Speaker: Henry L. Whitman, Jr., County Judge
14.a.1	▶ Utility Permit: Three Oaks WSC	infrastructure utilities
	Review and approve Utility Permit #854 for Three Oaks WSC on CR 204. Speaker: Luz Serrato, Permit/Development Director
17	▶ Fire Marshal Progress Report	public-safety
	Receive a progress report from the Fire Marshal. Speaker: Henry L. Whitman, Jr., County Judge; Carl Fowner, Fire Marshal
18	▶ Sheriff's Office Progress Reports	public-safety
	Receive progress reports from the Sheriff's Office. Speaker: Jim Stewart, County Sheriff
19	▶ County Tax Assessor-Collector Monthly Report	budget
	Receive the monthly report from the County Tax Assessor-Collector. Speaker: Dawn Polasek Barnett, County Tax Assessor-Collector
20	▶ County Treasurer's Financial Report	budget
	Discuss and take action on the County Treasurer's Financial Report. Speaker: Christina Mutz, County Treasurer
21	▶ Payroll and Personnel Changes	budget personnel
	Presentation of payroll and personnel changes. Speaker: Jalyn T. Bodiford, Human Resource Specialist
22	▶ County Bills	budget
	Discuss and take action on County Bills. Speaker: Brenda L. Trevino, County Auditor
23	▶ Informational Items
	Receipt of information only, no deliberation or action.
24	▶ Adjournment
	End the meeting.

Major Expenditures

Item	Amount	Description
9	$5,800.00	DMY County network fiber line installation

Total: $5,800.00

Glossary

Tax Abatement Policy: A policy that allows for the reduction or elimination of property taxes for a specified period to encourage economic development or investment.
TERP: Texas Emissions Reduction Plan - A state program aimed at reducing emissions from heavy-duty trucks and off-road equipment, often involving grants or incentives.
Violent Crimes Against Women Act (VAWA) Grant: Federal funding intended to reduce and respond to violent crime against women.
DMY County network: Likely refers to a specific county-wide or departmental network infrastructure, potentially related to the Tax Assessor-Collector's office systems.
Burn Ban: A temporary restriction on outdoor burning, typically implemented during dry conditions to prevent wildfires.