Hunt County Judge Stovall convened a special session of the Hunt County Commissioners Court on Nov. 4, 2025, to begin planning for the fiscal year 2026–27 budget and to solicit a countywide review of high-cost operations.

Gary (staff), presenting a set of starting points, described the effort as "nothing more than just a start conversation" and urged the court to focus on "larger ticket items" and countywide overhead that could yield savings before next year’s budget cycle. He recommended forming cross-department teams and, where useful, an independent leader to evaluate programs such as the county’s enterprise lease and other contract arrangements.

The proposal highlighted several targets: a communications assessment by Spyglass to review internet and phone usage; an enterprise lease review to capture total cost of ownership for vehicles (not just purchase price); and facilities upgrades such as LED lighting and HVAC controls. Judge Stovall warned that some capital items — notably courthouse window replacement — may carry high costs and historic-commission constraints that limit options.

One commissioner expressed concern that talk of efficiencies can trigger rumors of layoffs; Speaker 2 said, "People automatically think, oh, we're about to lose our job," and clarified the court’s intent at this stage is to identify efficiencies, not to cut staff. Gary and others said the process should involve elected officials and department heads so subject-matter experts can identify realistic savings and account for operational impacts.

The court discussed a proposed schedule: identify team members by mid-November, have teams set charters and targets by early December, and ask for a report to the court in late January (transcript reference: "January there on the 20 seventh to report out"). Gary emphasized seeking input from employees across the county — "tell us what we do that's stupid" — to surface everyday savings as well as larger capital projects.

No formal policy changes, layoffs or ordinances were adopted at the meeting. The court agreed to organize teams and return leader names and charters for follow-up; a formal presentation by enterprise staff was anticipated in the coming month.

The court will consider any formal proposals, changes to contracts or budget amendments in future open meetings.