Residents urge Smith County to boost emergency preparedness funding during budget workshop

Two public commenters urged the Smith County Commissioners Court on June 24 to prioritize emergency‑preparedness funding in the fiscal 2026 budget, telling the court that mitigation and training reduce response times and save lives.

Eric Bailey, director of preparedness and response and the EMTF‑4 regional coordinator at the Pineywoods Regional Advisory Council, told commissioners he was speaking as a concerned Smith County citizen. He asked, “Was Smith County prepared for [past disasters]?” and cited the Northeast Texas power failure of 2023 and other events to illustrate how regional responses can spill into Smith County. Bailey urged the court to “invest in preparedness, invest in mitigation, invest in response,” saying preparedness reduces the need for recovery spending.

Izzy Gentry, a certified crisis manager, spoke in support of the emergency‑preparedness budget item and described two areas of focus: natural disasters and national‑security–adjacent evacuation readiness. Gentry said emergency training for families, local leaders and faith organizations is essential and urged funding for intentional training to address new digital threats affecting youth. She also voiced conditional support for several law‑enforcement staffing requests that appeared elsewhere in the budget materials.

Why it matters: Both commenters described preparedness as an intangible but necessary investment that shortens response time, reduces confusion after disasters, and helps protect residents and neighboring communities during major events.

What the court did: Comments were part of the public‑participation period tied to the budget workshop. Commissioners acknowledged the remarks and continued with the scheduled departmental presentations; there was no immediate vote tied directly to the comments.

Ending: Commissioners said staff will continue to work with departments as they assemble the recommended FY2026 budget.