Gillespie County meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Gillespie County budget process moves forward; no formal decisions yet

The Gillespie County Commissioners Court held several meetings over the past two weeks, but the only formal action taken was adjourning a budget workshop. No budget, tax rate, or other substantive decisions have been made yet, according to published minutes and agendas.

Budget workshop yields no action

At a special meeting on August 10, the court met for a budget workshop. The agenda item was for discussion only, and no votes were taken. The meeting was adjourned at 11:11 a.m. on a motion by Commissioner Olfers, seconded by Commissioner Jenschke.

Budget and tax rate hearings ahead

The court has scheduled additional budget workshops for August 11 and August 14, but minutes from those meetings have not been published. The August 14 agenda includes considering a proposed 2026 tax rate and setting dates for public hearings on the FY 26-27 budget and tax rate. No proposed budget has been filed yet.

At its next regular meeting on August 25, the court is set to set those hearing dates and consider several other items, including:

• Pavement work at the County Airport (Airport Road/Crosswind Lane, terminal apron entry)
• Six-month extensions for hangar projects (Ladd Gardner, Lonestar Av8) and an EPCON development agreement
• An interlocal agreement with the City of Fredericksburg for disaster debris disposal after the July 16, 2026 flood
• Revised pay rates for election judges, clerks, and temporary workers
• An order amending the Gillespie County Health Division fee schedule for permitting and inspections

Other items on recent agendas

The August 11 regular meeting agenda included several items that have not yet been acted on:

• Approval of Sheriff's Office vehicle purchases using Chapter 59 Asset Forfeiture Funds

• Annual renewal of CIS Managed Detection and Response security software licensing

• Amendment to extend the Hill Country Sub-Regional Planning Commission interlocal agreement through September 30, 2027

• Annual renewal of the contract with the Hill Country Dispute Resolution Center

• A budget workshop for FY 26-27

A second August 11 agenda included routine consent items (bills, budget amendments, payroll, departmental reports), approval of promotions and hiring in the Sheriff's Office, acknowledgment of the County Auditor's salary order, and an extension of the maintenance agreement for the jail's fingerprint scanner.

Burn ban considered

On August 21, the court held a special meeting with a single agenda item: considering a burn ban under Section 352.081 of the Local Government Code. No minutes have been published, so no decision is recorded.

Coming up

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, at 9:00 a.m. in the Gillespie County Courthouse in Fredericksburg. The agenda includes the budget and tax rate hearing dates, airport work, flood debris agreement, election worker pay, and health fee schedule. Residents interested in the county budget or tax rate may want to attend.

Gillespie County Commissioners Court reviews expenses, flood recovery, and budget requests

The Gillespie County Commissioners Court held several agenda-only meetings over the past two weeks, reviewing expense approvals, flood recovery efforts, a grant application for indigent defense, and preliminary budget requests for the next fiscal year. No formal decisions were made, as minutes have not yet been published for any of the sessions.

Expense approvals reviewed

At the July 28 meeting, the court reviewed a register of proposed expenses for county departments, all contingent on court approval. Items included:

• Inmate food payments to Sysco Central Texas: $14,773.20
• Quarterly service contract with VRF Services of Texas: $5,160.00
• Licenses and maintenance payment to Vista Solutions Group, LP: $4,544.63
• Professional services payment to Atascosa County Auditor: $6,000.00
• Attorney fees to the Law Office of Humberto: $900.00

Flood recovery and hotel tax consolidation

Also on July 28, the court discussed recovery efforts following the July 16, 2026 flooding event, including debris management and road repairs. The agenda included a possible partnership with the City of Fredericksburg to consolidate Hotel Occupancy Tax collection, a contract renewal with Hill Country Dispute Resolution Center, a grant application for the FY2027 Formula Grant Program with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, purchase of elections equipment using Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds, an MOU with Fredericksburg Independent School District for School Resource Officers, and installation of a hydraulic system for a Precinct 4 Peterbilt truck.

Indigent defense grant and library purchases

A separate July 28 agenda item considered a resolution to apply for the Texas Indigent Defense Formula Grant Program, which would designate the County Judge as the Authorized Official. The same meeting materials listed proposed library purchases totaling $1,286.50 for books and $108.00 for an Amazon Kindle Fire.

Budget workshops scheduled

The court held special budget workshops on July 30, August 5, and August 7 to discuss preliminary budget requests for Fiscal Year 2026-27. As of the posting dates, no proposed budget had been drafted or filed. Additional workshops are scheduled for August 10 and August 14.

Notices of possible quorum

Two notices were issued — for July 29 and August 3 — stating that a quorum of the court might attend court proceedings, but no formal business, action, or deliberations would be conducted. These were not meetings under the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Coming up

The Commissioners Court will hold two more budget workshops for preliminary Fiscal Year 2026-27 requests:

• **August 10** — special session budget workshop
• **August 14** — special session budget workshop

Both are open to the public.

Gillespie County extends flood disaster declaration, hires HR director

Gillespie County Commissioners Court extended a local disaster declaration for 60 days following July 16 flooding and approved emergency purchasing exemptions, according to official minutes from the July 23 meeting. The Court also hired a new Human Resources Director and approved several personnel changes at its July 20 meeting.

Disaster declaration extended

On July 23, the Commissioners Court voted to extend the Emergency Declaration of Local Disaster for 60 days, carried by the Court. The extension follows a flooding event on July 16, 2026. The Court also approved an exemption from competitive bidding requirements for flood-related purchases on a 5-0 vote.

The consent agenda — including bills, claims, journal entries, budget amendments, and payroll — was carried. No action was taken on Budget Workshop items at that meeting.

Agenda materials for the same July 23 meeting listed additional items, but minutes for those items had not been published as of this report. The agenda indicated the disaster declaration would extend through September 21, 2026, and included authorization to control ingress and egress from disaster areas, utility payments to the City of Fredericksburg for various W Main St and S Nimitz Pkwy locations, journal entry corrections for Treasurer Receipts R15245 and R14417, and correction of a voided check (#124744) for $2,522.63.

Personnel changes approved July 20

The Court approved hiring Edward Serna as Human Resources Director at $85,000. It also approved moving Lynn Friedrich to a Generalist position at $27.60 per hour, hiring Pedro Martinez for part-time Road and Bridge in Precinct 3 at $20.50, and hiring Kenneth Baethge for seasonal Road and Bridge, County Wide at $20.50.

The Court approved an $11,838.82 payment to Escamilla's Paint and Body for Sheriff's patrol unit repairs. No action was taken on the consent agenda or the budget workshop at the July 20 meeting.

July 28 items — agendas only, no minutes yet

Multiple July 28 agenda items had not produced published minutes as of this report. The agendas listed items under consideration, not final decisions.

One agenda included an expense approval register with inmate food payments to Sysco Central Texas totaling $14,773.20, a quarterly service contract with VRF Services of Texas for $5,160.00, licenses and maintenance payment to Vista Solutions Group, LP for $4,544.63, professional services payment to Atascosa County Auditor for $6,000.00, and payment to Law Office of Humberto for attorney fees of $900.00.

Another July 28 agenda listed a resolution to designate the County Judge as the Authorized Official for the Texas Indigent Defense Formula Grant Program, along with proposed library purchases totaling $1,286.50 for books and $108.00 for an Amazon Kindle Fire.

A third July 28 agenda listed discussion items including a contract renewal with Hill Country Dispute Resolution Center, a grant application for FY2027 Formula Grant Program with Texas Indigent Defense Commission, purchase of elections equipment using Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds, an MOU with Fredericksburg Independent School District for School Resource Officers, and installation of a hydraulic system for a Precinct 4 Peterbilt truck.

The Court issued notice that a possible quorum might attend court proceedings on July 29, but no formal business or action was conducted.

Budget workshop held July 30

A special meeting on July 30 was scheduled as a budget workshop to discuss preliminary budget requests for Fiscal Year 2026-27. As of the posting date, no proposed budget had been drafted or filed. Minutes were not yet published.

Coming up

• **Aug. 3:** Notice of possible quorum at a hearing in the 216th District Court. No Commissioners Court business will be conducted.
• **Aug. 5:** Special meeting budget workshop for preliminary FY 2026-27 requests.
• **Aug. 7:** Special meeting budget workshop. No proposed FY 2026-27 budget has been drafted or filed.
• **Aug. 10:** Special session budget workshop for preliminary FY 2026-27 requests.
• **Aug. 14:** Special session budget workshop for preliminary FY 2026-27 requests.

Gillespie County Commissioners Court addresses flood recovery, budget planning in busy July stretch

Gillespie County Commissioners Court held a packed schedule of meetings over the past two weeks, with agendas covering flood recovery, a possible burn ban, shared services funding with the City of Fredericksburg, and preliminary work on the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget. Minutes have not yet been published for any of these meetings, so formal outcomes and vote tallies cannot be confirmed from the available record.

Flood recovery and disaster declaration

The July 23 agenda included an order to continue a local state of disaster declaration related to July 16, 2026 flooding, with a proposed extension through September 21, 2026. The agenda also listed authorization to control ingress and egress from disaster areas and an order granting purchasing exemptions for items deemed necessary to protect public health, safety, or county property.

Routine items on the same agenda included utility payments to the City of Fredericksburg for locations on W Main St and S Nimitz Pkwy, journal entry corrections for Treasurer Receipts R15245 and R14417, and correction of a voided check (#124744) for $2,522.63.

Joint meeting on shared services

On July 14, the Fredericksburg City Council and Gillespie County Commissioners met jointly to discuss shared funding for multiple services: emergency management, fire, EMS, law enforcement, dispatch, animal shelter, and economic development. The agenda also listed discussion of the outstanding FY2026-27 budget. No formal budget had been proposed at the time of the agenda; the meeting was described as a preliminary workshop.

Burn ban and equipment purchases

A separate July 14 agenda included consideration of a burn ban pursuant to Sec. 352.081 of the Local Government Code. Other listed items included installation of bullet-resistant glass for the Law Enforcement Center-Sheriff's Office, purchase of a truck for Precinct 1, an AWOS maintenance contract between DBT Transportation Services and Gillespie County Airport, a lease for T-Hangar space at the county airport, and purchase of elections equipment using Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds.

Budget workshops

The Court held budget workshops on July 20 and July 23 for Fiscal Year 26-27. Both agendas noted that no formal proposed budget had been filed. The July 20 agenda included payment of an invoice from Escamilla's Paint and Body for Sheriff's office patrol unit damage, plus personnel approvals for Human Resources, Road and Bridge Precinct 3, and Road and Bridge County Wide. The July 23 agenda included approval of bills and claims, journal entries and budget amendments, payroll claims, and departmental reports and fees of office.

Coming up

• **July 28 — Commissioners Court:** Agenda includes a resolution to designate the County Judge as authorized official for the Texas Indigent Defense Formula Grant Program, proposed library purchases totaling $1,286.50 for books and $108.00 for an Amazon Kindle Fire, a contract renewal with Hill Country Dispute Resolution Center, an MOU with Fredericksburg ISD for School Resource Officers, and installation of a hydraulic system for a Precinct 4 Peterbilt truck. Flood recovery and a possible Hotel Occupancy Tax consolidation partnership with the City of Fredericksburg are also listed.
• **July 30 — Commissioners Court (special meeting):** Sole agenda item is a budget workshop to discuss preliminary budget requests for Fiscal Year 26-27. No proposed budget has been drafted or filed as of the posting date.

Gillespie County Commissioners Court Focuses on Budget Workshops; July 14 Meeting Outcomes Pending

Gillespie County Commissioners Court spent the past two weeks in budget work sessions, but no formal actions or votes were taken at either of the two sessions held July 7 and July 10, according to official minutes. A July 14 regular meeting and a joint meeting with the Fredericksburg City Council were scheduled to consider a burn ban, multiple contracts, and shared service funding, but minutes for those sessions have not yet been published.

Budget Work Sessions Held July 7 and July 10

The Commissioners Court held special meetings on both July 7 and July 10 for budget workshops with various county offices. Official minutes confirm that no formal actions or votes were taken during either session. The workshops are part of the county's preparation for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget.

July 14 Meeting: Burn Ban, Contracts, and Equipment on Agenda

The Commissioners Court scheduled its July 14 meeting to consider several items, though minutes have not yet been published and outcomes are not confirmed. Agenda items included:

• Implementing a burn ban pursuant to Sec. 352.081 of the Local Government Code.
• Approving an Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) maintenance contract with DBT Transportation Services for the Gillespie County Airport.
• Approving a lease for T-Hangar space at the County Airport.
• Approving the purchase of a truck for Precinct 1.
• Approving the purchase of elections equipment using Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds.
• Installing bullet-resistant glass for the Law Enforcement Center-Sheriff's Office.
• Approving fee schedules, job postings, and law-enforcement equipment.

Because minutes are not yet available, it is not possible to confirm which items were approved, modified, or postponed.

Joint Meeting with Fredericksburg City Council

Also on July 14, the Fredericksburg City Council and Gillespie County Commissioners Court were scheduled to meet jointly to discuss shared funding for multiple services. Agenda items included funding for emergency management, fire services, EMS, law enforcement, dispatch, animal shelter, and economic development. The agenda also listed discussion of the outstanding FY2026-27 budget. No formal budget had been proposed at the time the agenda was posted; the meeting was described as a preliminary workshop. Minutes have not yet been published.

Coming Up

July 20 — Commissioners Court Budget Workshop: The Court will hold a special meeting for a Fiscal Year 26-27 budget workshop, covering preliminary financial priorities and staff budget requests. The agenda also includes payment of an invoice from Escamilla's Paint and Body for Sheriff's office patrol unit damage, personnel approvals for Human Resources, Road and Bridge Precinct 3, and Road and Bridge County Wide, and approval of bills, claims, and payroll.

July 23 — Commissioners Court Budget Workshop: A second special session will continue budget workshop discussions for FY 26-27. No formal proposed budget has been filed yet. The consent agenda includes approval of bills and claims, electronic fund transfers, journal entries and budget amendments, payroll claims, departmental reports, and fees of office.

Residents seeking confirmed outcomes from the July 14 meetings should watch for the official minutes to be published by Gillespie County.