Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Houston County commissioners approve cadet training tuition, courthouse plaque and heavy-equipment purchase
Summary
At its Jan. 27 meeting the Houston County Commissioners’ Court approved county-paid tuition for two sheriff’s cadets, placement of a large Travis plaque on courthouse grounds, and the purchase of a 2026 Mack dump truck under a guarantee-buyback plan, among other routine items.
The Houston County Commissioners’ Court met Jan. 27 and approved a series of routine and program-specific actions, including county-paid tuition for two sheriff’s cadets, placement of a historical plaque on the courthouse grounds, and the purchase of a new Mack dump truck for Precinct 2.
County Judge Jim Lovell opened the meeting at 9:00 a.m.; Commissioner Willie Kitchen gave the invocation and Judge Lovell led the pledges. The court first approved prior minutes and routine financial items, including a correction of $55.60 to Precinct 1 Road and Bridge in the accounts-payable motion.
Sheriff Zak Benge described recently approved dispatch software equipment that “puts spoken words into written word on their system,” saying that without it agencies would have to rely on analog systems that would not be captured. The court received the County Treasurer’s and compensatory reports and approved personnel status changes across the sheriff’s office and jail.
On law-enforcement training, the court received the selections of Jail Sgt. Jonathon Strong and Jailer Spencer Lightfoot into the Houston County Sheriff’s Deputy Cadet Program and approved cadet agreements for the pair to attend the East Texas Police Academy with county-paid tuition. The court also approved employee status changes for the cadets effective Feb. 23, 2026.
The Historical Commission’s request to place a large bronze plaque containing Col. William Barrett Travis’s Alamo “Victory or Death” letter on the southeast quadrant of the courthouse grounds was approved; the commission announced a dedication scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on March 2, 2026. Al Kreger presented the project on behalf of the Historical Commission.
For road operations in Precinct 2, the court approved a multi-part purchase agreement for a 2026 Mack dump truck: authorize trade-in of the 2025 truck for $155,000; purchase the 2026 truck for $189,211.01 from East Texas Mack Sales under the TIPS purchasing contract; and noted a guaranteed buyback of $165,000 expected in February 2027. The court authorized the County Judge to sign the lease-purchase documents with Cadence Bank.
Other approvals included authorizing Spectrum to install 1,186 feet of fiber-optic cable along CR 3070 N or FM 132 in Precinct 2, receiving the 2025 Title III and Road & Bridge lateral road reports as information, approving updates to the HR Committee policy (including a Pregnant Workers Fairness Act policy), and approving Employee Sick Pool policy updates.
The court also approved a resale bid for county struck-off property in Cause No. 23-0152 (Houston County v. Julia Ann Frazier), awarding the bid to Efrain Fajardo for $15,000, and authorized an application to the Hotel Occupancy Tax Fund and interlocal agreements for the Houston County Fair & Youth Livestock Show (Mar. 28–Apr. 4, 2026) for $3,000.
The meeting concluded with authorization for the Houston County Sheriff to apply for the Sheriff Immigration Law Enforcement Grant Program created by Senate Bill 8 (referencing Government Code Section 753.051). Judge Lovell moved to adjourn at 10:13 a.m.
The court’s votes on recorded motions were unanimous where tallies were given (4–0) and several agenda items were received as information with no further action.
