Grimes County delays appointment to Bluebonnet Groundwater Conservation District; schedules one-on-one interviews

Grimes County Commissioners Court on Wednesday declined to appoint a replacement to the Bluebonnet Groundwater Conservation District board and instead scheduled individual interviews with both candidates at the court's next meeting.

During discussion of agenda item 26, which the court said had been the subject of a closed session under Texas Government Code 551.074 (personnel matters), the court noted it had extensively discussed the two applicants — Brad Tillis and Nicole Floyd — but opted to take no formal action immediately. County Judge Joe Fowles said the court preferred to invite the candidates for a one-on-one interview with the commissioners at the next meeting before making an appointment to fill the vacancy through the end of 2025.

Judge Fowles asked county staff (identified as Sherry Wagner on the record) to contact both candidates to arrange their attendance. The court did not announce a preferred candidate or record any vote on the appointment during the session.

The court recorded the decision to defer as a procedural step: candidates will meet individually with the court for interviews, after which the court expects to decide on an appointment. No interview dates, interview format, or evaluation criteria were specified on the public record. The transcript shows the court thanked several attendees and confirmed that staff would follow up to schedule the interviews.