Judge Jennifer Casal, Brazos County judge, convened a workshop of the Brazos County Commissioners Court for a presentation by representatives of the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) on the association’s programs and services.

The presentation matters because TAC’s pools and services — including risk management, safety-equipment vouchers, countywide cybersecurity training and the health and employee benefits pool — affect county operations, employee health-plan costs and potential budget decisions in Brazos County.

Lisa McKagan, TAC risk-management consultant, described TAC’s member-governed pools and boards and the range of services available to counties, including property and liability coverage, workers’ compensation support and risk-control consulting. “In my role, what I do with the county is I work with you on all of your liability coverages, property coverages, and workers' compensation,” McKagan said.

Isaac Garcia, TAC risk-control consultant, told commissioners the pool has provided services to Brazos County such as drone surveys of high-value buildings and safety training for road-and-bridge and maintenance staff. He described TAC’s safety-equipment program, which provides separate voucher stores for sheriff’s office and road-and-bridge safety purchases; each voucher allocation is “about $9,000, a little bit under that,” he said, and is restricted to safety-related items such as vests and first‑aid supplies.

On benefits, Clarissa Messenger, TAC employee benefits consultant for the East Territory, and Brian Nizer, associate director for TAC’s plan, briefed commissioners on the health and employee benefits pool, wellness programming and the plan’s finances. Messenger highlighted the Healthy County wellness program, telemedicine and behavioral-health options and said TAC performs midyear claims reviews with the county’s benefits consultant to tailor wellness strategies for chronic conditions.

Commissioner Brown asked whether TAC’s consultants receive 100% of their compensation solely from administrative fees. “Can you confirm to me that a 100% of your compensation comes solely from the admin fee and no other revenue sources are being leveraged?” Brown asked. Brian Nizer replied, “No. We do share in rebates, and we collect a share of the rebates to cover our cost of administrating the plan.” He described TAC’s approach to managing pharmacy‑benefit manager (PBM) revenue and other manufacturer or third‑party payments to the plan.

Nizer gave a brief history of rebate sharing with member counties: when Brazos County joined the pool in 2018, TAC shared 50% of rebates; that share rose to 75% as the county and rebates grew, and the current renewal increases the county’s share to 80%. Nizer said TAC aims to secure the lowest net drug cost for members and has retained outside PBM expertise to craft plan contracts. “We are constantly fighting the smoke and mirrors,” Nizer said, describing TAC’s efforts to manage PBM and manufacturer revenue flows.

Messenger said open-enrollment support and employee trainings are available to counties and again noted the plan-year 2026 renewal will be presented to the court at next week’s meeting; she said the court will have “more numbers and more information about the health and benefit services, your renewal for plan year 2026.”

TAC also described education and training programs: county management and risk conferences, a Healthy County Boot Camp, a County Information Resources Agency (CIRA) program that provides technology resources and website services, and certified cybersecurity training that meets Texas Department of Information Resources requirements. TAC announced a regional one‑day workshop scheduled Sept. 25 in Brenham at the fairgrounds, covering law enforcement, risk management, human resources and cyber risk.

Presenters noted TAC’s legal helpline and online member resources at county.org, plus outreach materials under the Texas County Delivers program for public education. Commissioners asked TAC to increase lobbying on unfunded mandates from the state; TAC representatives acknowledged the concern and said the association’s legislative teams and a core legislative group exist to amplify county voices.

No formal motions or votes were taken during the workshop. Commissioners and TAC staff used the session for information sharing and Q&A; county staff were scheduled to receive the 2026 renewal details at the next court meeting and a separate workshop on the 2026 court schedule was announced for Wednesday to discuss reducing monthly meetings from four to two.

The workshop concluded with thanks from the court and TAC; presenters urged members to use TAC resources and contact the association’s county relations officers for assistance.