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Portland approves $6,000 interlocal with San Patricio County; council presses for accounting
Summary
Council approved a $6,000 interlocal agreement with San Patricio County for county‑provided restaurant and septic inspections in 2025, but multiple council members pressed county staff for a detailed accounting after the charge rose from $0 to $3,000 to $6,000 in two years.
The Portland City Council approved an interlocal agreement on Dec. 17 to pay San Patricio County $6,000 for environmental health services in 2025 — including restaurant inspections, septic inspections and temporary‑event checks — but the item prompted extended questioning from council members about the fee’s calculation and accounting.
City staff said the county began charging cities in 2022 after previously providing the services at no charge; the city’s cost for the coming year was presented to the council as $6,000. Council members repeatedly requested an itemized accounting and an explanation for why city restaurants and municipal establishments face higher inspection frequencies and charges than unincorporated county businesses.
“Why was the decision made to parcel that off to a taxpayer burden in a city versus the county?” Mayor Scurro asked during the discussion, saying Portland taxpayers already pay county taxes.
Chris Dorsey, representing the county, said the county still subsidizes the program and is not recovering full costs on fees. “If you look at the overall expenses, the County is still... supplementing this,” he told the council, and he said he had asked the county auditor for a breakdown. Dorsey said a new line‑item had been created so the county could track the fees and promised the city a “black and white” accounting to explain what is collected and what is subsidized. County staff also said permit‑fee increases have been infrequent historically and that the county plans a broader review for 2026.
Council members said they were not opposing the services but sought greater budgetary transparency before adopting a longer arrangement. One council member summed the sequence: “It was 0, then it was 3, then it was 6,” describing the rise in city costs over recent years.
After the exchange, the council moved and approved the interlocal agreement for $6,000 for services in 2025, and county representatives committed to deliver an accounting of revenues and expenditures to address council questions ahead of future negotiations.
The council’s motion authorized the city manager to execute the interlocal agreement for 2025; staff said county and city staff will meet earlier in the calendar year to discuss methodology before the 2026 budgeting cycle.
