top of page
Search

Mertzon City Council August 10 and 17 2026

  • Aug 15
  • 2 min read

Updated: Aug 18

Agenda Analysis | Meeting Review | Meeting Documents | Commentary | Last Meeting


The base was being prepared for the pavement part of the new flume on 4th Street on August 13. No one should cancel their flood insurance just yet.
The base was being prepared for the pavement part of the new flume on 4th Street on August 13. No one should cancel their flood insurance just yet.


August 17 Agenda
August 17 Agenda

August 10 Agenda
August 10 Agenda

A. Agenda Analysis 1. August 17 agenda: a. Hibbs and Todd and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), item 6: Underscore "explain delays" in this agenda item. Ground hasn't broke on projects approved 2+ years ago. Put plainly, Hibbs and Todd has repeatedly not treated the City of Mertzon as a valuable client. b. Ferguson Alley closure request, item 7: Watch all street and alley requests for closure for equal treatment under the law. c. Ordinances 19.02 and 16.01, items 11 and 12: Pending analysis below. 2. August 10 agenda: a. I missed this meeting, but I have listened to the audio. (Audio recordings of public meetings are subject to the Public Information Act. The City has a reliable history of being cooperative with the production of these recordings without cost to the requestor.) b. Analysis pending



I predict that the new drainage system on 2nd Street, paid for by IC ISD bond money, is going to need ongoing maintenance after all measurable (1"+) rains. For all the talk of "no new taxes" before the 2024 IC ISD bonds were passed, taxpayers can't ignore the downstream maintenance and operations cost increases that were never discussed (but were foreseeable) before the bond vote. So, the operative question to ask when the next IC ISD bond is proposed will be: "Can we afford to maintain it after all the bond money is spent?" IC ISD is facing a 29% reduction in its tax base for 2026. The City is also facing a shortfall, but not nearly as drastic. What will save both the City and IC ISD in 2027 is a history of aggressively paying down existing debt.
I predict that the new drainage system on 2nd Street, paid for by IC ISD bond money, is going to need ongoing maintenance after all measurable (1"+) rains. For all the talk of "no new taxes" before the 2024 IC ISD bonds were passed, taxpayers can't ignore the downstream maintenance and operations cost increases that were never discussed (but were foreseeable) before the bond vote. So, the operative question to ask when the next IC ISD bond is proposed will be: "Can we afford to maintain it after all the bond money is spent?" IC ISD is facing a 29% reduction in its tax base for 2026. The City is also facing a shortfall, but not nearly as drastic. What will save both the City and IC ISD in 2027 is a history of aggressively paying down existing debt.

B. Meeting Review

I attended the August 17 meeting, and my analysis is pending.






C. Commentary

  1. Watch for my 765 kV updates. There was a lot of activity on the cases on August 14.

  2. I can’t manage to protest 765 kV lines and road/wall construction at Big Bend NP at the same time. It is outrageous what the federal government is doing in Big Bend right now. I encourage your engagement on the issue. Please see this Texas Tribune article for the latest today.

    https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/17/texas-big-bend-national-park-border-wall-construction-pause/






Copyright 2026 G. Noelke

 
 

Drop Me a Line, Let Me Know What You Think

Thanks for submitting!

© 2025 by George Noelke

bottom of page