The Kerr County Commissioners Court hosted a public meeting at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at the courthouse, 700 Main St. Items on the agenda included approval of the 2026–27 budget, a presentation on individual and small-business assistance for 2026 flood repair, the Kerr County 911 budge, and the potential purchase by the county of the former Kerrville Police Department building at 429 Sidney Baker St.
This last point proved the most contentious item and made up a majority of the latter half of the meeting.
Kerrville Police Building
Pablo Brinkman of Brinkman Preferred Properties spoke to the court on behalf of the city of Kerrville about the current state of the building and what a letter of intent would mean.
“What a letter of intent is, is a handshake,” Brinkman said. “It is not entering into anything. There is no legal obligation. It is just stating that the county has interest.”
If a letter of intent is signed, the county would be looking further into the purchase of the building, in part, to replace the office space in the basement of the county courthouse.
The basement was deemed uninsurable after damage from the July 16 flood and constituted 16,000 square feet of office space. The Police Department building includes 15,604 square feet of office space and additional space on the first floor that could also be utilized.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Jeff Holt raised concerns about renovation costs for the 60-year-old building on top of the $1.875 million investment in purchasing the property.
“The estimates for remodeling, from figures I’ve seen, could cost anywhere from $50 to $300 per square foot,” Holt said. “My concern is that, with the remodel and everything, we’ll completely wipe out the fund balance. … If money was no object, I would be very interested. But money is an object.”
Brinkman clarified to the court that there was no cost and no obligation associated with writing a letter of intent and that, once a letter of intent was signed and delivered, the county would begin independent investigations regarding the true viability of the property. Those findings would then be presented to the court and the public in a public meeting.
“Ultimately, as a businessman,” Brinkman said, “I think you have a fiduciary responsibility to at least consider this.”
Guy “Bubba” Walters, former county commissioner for Precinct 4, agreed that the purchase was something the county should consider.
“It’s a smart opportunity for us to at least look at it,” he said.
He also indicated that costs might be saved by selling certain properties the county already owns.
“We don’t need 18 properties spread all across this county,” Walters said. “This allows us to have everything right here. It’ll be more efficient.”
Kerrville resident Barbara Ferguson, however, urged caution about the purchase of the property, though she stated that she had no objection to a letter of intent.
Former Kerrville Mayor Judy Eychner stated that she “fully supported” a letter of intent.
“You’re not agreeing to anything you can’t later say ‘no’ to,” Eychner said. “Another good thing that would come of this if this comes to fruition is that we know that this property would not turn into a vape shop, a nail salon or another chicken restaurant.”
Ultimately, County Judge Rob Kelly led the vote to go into executive session to consider a possible purchase price and deliverables the county should put forward to the city.
“Can we come up with something we can live with?” Kelly said. “That’s really the main question.”
At the end of the meeting, the court went into executive session to discuss the possibility of drafting a letter of intent. When the session ended at 2:45 p.m., the court voted unanimously to create and sign a letter of intent to the city of Kerrville expressing interest in purchasing the former Kerrville Police Department building at 429 Sidney Baker St.
County Budget and Tax Rate
The county unanimously voted to approve the tax rate for the county at $0.48 per $100 valuation. Kelly noted that this rate was below the no-new-revenue tax rate calculated for the county in 2026.
County Auditor Tanya Shelton also presented the 2026–27 budget for final approval.
Though there was some discussion from Precinct 2 Commissioner Rich Paces about increasing the amount for volunteer firefighters by either “$30,000 or 10%,” the other commissioners stated that it was too late in the budget process to make adjustments.
In the end, the court voted unanimously to approve the budget as presented.
Flood Recovery and Emergency Response
Toward the beginning of the meeting, Kelly Hagemeier of Kerr Together presented an update on flood disaster relief in Kerr County. She noted that more than 900 residential homes and 123 businesses were affected by the 2026 flooding. She also highlighted the individual assistance given out in the county through nonprofit organizations, including The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
She also stated that Kerr Together had found funding to bring some national and international nonprofit teams, or Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disaster, back to Kerr County.
Emergency Response Coordinator Shorey Harmon requested approval of a request from the Texas Division of Emergency Management that would allow Kerr County employees to assist in other disasters throughout the state.
“Unfortunately, this county has become experts in emergency disaster,” County Commissioner of Precinct 1, Tom Jones, said. “But at the same time, we can be a blessing for other counties throughout the state.”
The proposal passed unanimously.
Harmon also presented the Kerr County Emergency Action Plan. Though the EAP was presented to the county court for the first time, Jones noted that it had already been implemented in the July 16 flood with “great results” in terms of saving lives.
The EAP included a chain of command for sounding the siren system, as well as a process of controls for flash-flood and flood warnings.
Paces asked if the plan needed to be implemented today “because I see some water crossings that aren’t on your list.” Harmon clarified that the plan could be amended at a later date but requested immediate approval.
The court voted unanimously to pass the EAP.
Michael Pantel with Waterway Engineering gave an informational presentation update on a new outdoor flood-siren system for Kerr County that is being implemented.
Pantel stated that initial engineering for the sirens had been completed and site visits for the siren locations were scheduled for “the next week or so.”
The last item to do with emergency management preparation was a proposal from Kerrville ISD to continue to use the Hill Country Youth Event Center as an emergency evacuation site. The motion was approved unanimously.
Feral Hog Bounty and Water Quality
The court also unanimously approved a proposal from the Upper Guadalupe River Authority to continue funding bounties on feral hog tails to keep the animals from polluting water sources throughout the county. The reward will remain $12 per tail.
Also approved were several public projects from the 2026 flood that are now eligible for FEMA funds.
To start the meeting, Constable Paul Gonzalez was formally presented with personal items retrieved from his flooded office after the July 16 flood. Possessions included his Leadership Portfolio, which documents his time in law enforcement, family pictures and certifications.
Presentations
The court also recognized representatives from the Daughters of the American Revolution, who announced that Constitution Week would begin on Sept. 17 in recognition of the 239th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America.
The next public meeting for the commissioners court will take place on Sept. 28 at the Kerr County Courthouse, 700 Main St., Kerrville.
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