TYLER COUNTY – A controversial draft proposal intended to maintain a baseline of professionalism among the fire departments in the county was tabled by commissioners during Monday morning’s meeting of the Tyler County Commissioners Court.
The proposal, which applied to all volunteer firefighters serving with a volunteer fire department or a fire-protection organization operating within the county, includes such stipulations as giving the county’s Fire Marshal, Justin Dilbeck, oversight and review as to vetting volunteer firefighters. It also includes background check requirements.
The meeting, which drew a large group of firefighters and supporters, had to be moved to the District Courtroom to accommodate the crowd. Nearly 20 individuals signed up to voice support or disdain for the proposal during the public comments portion of the meeting, which County Judge Milton Powers moderated, and limited comments to five minutes apiece.
Some of the commenters stated that their respective fire departments are already vetting prospective volunteers through background checks, and that a blanket policy applying to every VFD in the county would constitute overreach.
Sal Baldovinos, who formerly served with the Shady Grove VFD, said he was in support of the policy, but encouraged the commissioners and Dilbeck to further revise and review it.
Brent Breaux, of the Woodville VFD, said that background checks and “reasonable eligibility requirements are not an attack on fire departments. Others, such as Jonathan Phillips, who serves as chief with Shady Grove VFD, voiced opposition to the policy, and said that decisions on who should be accepted to serve should stay within departments’ respective leadership structures.
Chester mayor Robert Poynter, who also opposed the proposal, said it would be another burdensome government regulation, and that Chester VFD already has a background check policy in place.
Dilbeck, who spoke during the regular portion of Monday’s agenda, in discussion on the item, said that the intent was to “get everybody to the table … to establish minimum criteria.”
A workshop for the topic was scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3 at 10:30 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Courtroom, however, in the event of a large crowd, the session might have to be recessed so that it can be moved upstairs to the District Courtroom.
Appraisal District budget voted down
Another item on Monday’s agenda was to approve the 2027 proposed budget for the Tyler County Appraisal District. The budget, as submitted by Cynthia Cummings, who is currently serving as the interim chief appraiser, proposes a $11,717 increase over last year’s budget, with a total of $1.5 million.
The biggest line-item increase from last year to the current proposed budget is for salaries. Pct. 1 Commissioner Joe Blacksher noted this, and motioned to disapprove the budget. Blacksher noted that the county already, by statute, covers 42.989% of the appraisal district budget.
Pct. 3 Commissioner Mike Marshall agreed, and noted that the county can’t afford at the moment to give its employees raises, so the governing body shouldn’t vote on the budget as presented.
A public hearing on the appraisal budget is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 in the boardroom of the Appraisal District office.
