Court flags courthouse leaks, annex repairs and property sales as budget priorities

At the FY26 budget workshop, Rio County maintenance staff and commissioners highlighted multiple building maintenance needs, including leaking courthouse domes, courthouse window warranty expirations, juvenile probation roof failure, annex wall cracking and jail boiler replacement. Nut graf: Commissioners said deferred maintenance on historic and operational county buildings is increasingly urgent after recent storm damage; they discussed using remaining FY25 funds for immediate repairs and selling underused county properties to fund longer-term needs. Maintenance staff reported two primary capital needs: a large courthouse dome/roof repair and jail equipment (boilers/rollers). Staff noted the courthouse is a 127‑year‑old building with aging windows and domes that have required warranty repairs; one dome repair had a prior RFP cost of about $47,000 and repeated warranty work that a contractor warned could cost over $71,000 for a follow-up repair. Commissioners and staff discussed the county annex and a new Copperas Cove tax office contract that is moving forward. They also discussed selling underused properties, including an old hospital parcel and other outlying buildings, and relocating some county functions into consolidated facilities to reduce long‑term maintenance costs. One commissioner urged a courthouse master plan and suggested a phased public package to explain costs, utilization and options to voters. Ending: Staff said they will include immediate roof and annex repair costs in the FY26 draft budget where possible, pursue quotes for courthouse dome/window work, and evaluate property sales and consolidation as long‑term strategies; no formal action was taken at the workshop.