Grimes County officials review solid-waste, 9-1-1 and septic-enforcement budgets; staff outline limits on proactive inspections

Kat Lee, department head for 9-1-1 addressing, environmental services and solid waste for Grimes County, presented her FY2026 budget requests to the Commissioners Court on July 29 and described ongoing operations at five county disposal sites, planned cleanup events and constraints on onsite sewage facility (OSSF) enforcement.

Lee told the court she has one full-time employee who runs the BDAS site and five part-time employees who staff the other sites. "We have 5 sites," Lee said, describing a staff structure of one full-time site manager and multiple part-time attendants. She asked the court to fund recurring items including fuel, vehicle maintenance, sign materials and two annual county cleanups.

The county judge explained the preliminary budget includes a proposed $1.60 hourly increase for every county employee and that the judge did not raise most departments' fuel lines because pump prices are down and a new state law exempts county employees from paying the 20¢-per-gallon highway tax at county fuel depots. "The governor has indeed signed the new legislation that exempts county employees from having to pay the highway tax on fuel which is 20¢ a gallon," the judge said while explaining the preliminary assumptions.

Why it matters: Solid-waste operations and OSSF enforcement affect public health, road responsibilities and recurring…