During Tuesday morning’s meeting, the Brownwood City Council unanimously approved a proposed tax rate of .7175 cents per $100 valuation for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

The .7175 tax rate is a 3.61 percent increase from the tax rate of .6925 cents for the current fiscal year, which concludes at the end of September.

The tax rate is not finalized, but will be used in efforts to complete the City’s proposed budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

City of Brownwood Finance Director Melanie Larose told the Council, “We have received our certified property valuations since the previous budget workshop, which came in a little bit lower than what we were hoping for. But we were able to make some adjustments and go ahead and move forward with this proposed tax rate.”

In other items of business Tuesday. Council approved by unanimous vote:

• A purchase not to exceed $31,000 for emergency replacement of the #1 water pump for the Roanoke pump station to include a year-end budget amendment

The #1 pump at the Roanoke Pump Station was rebuilt and reinstalled by All American Pump in November 2022 and has been in continuous operation since that time. In June 2026, staff identified significant vibration during operation and requested an inspection from All American Pump. Their initial assessment indicated that the coupling had been installed without grease. After transporting the unit to their facility for a full evaluation, All American Pump reported that the pump would require a complete rebuild or full replacement.

Staff questioned whether the work performed in 2022 would be covered under any workmanship warranty. All American Pump stated they could offer only a 10% discount toward a new replacement assembly. Staff then obtained additional quotes from other vendors for comparison.

The following Pump replacement quotes were received:

– All American Pump – $22,449.90

– Smith Pump – $30,827

– Pierce Pump – $32,806

• A purchase not to exceed $12,000 for emergency replacement of a bar screen rake motor gear drive for the Camp Bowie lift station through a budget amendment.

Staff discovered that the gear drive on the Camp Bowie lift station bar screen had stripped out back in June. This gear drive is located and operates in extreme environmental conditions, it is located out in the weather, travels up and down numerous times every day, and is exposed to sewer gases.

This is a sole source purchase as the manufacturer is the vendor that the city is purchasing from. The Wastewater Treatment Plant budget does not have the funds available to cover these expenses, therefore staff is requesting that Council authorize this purchase through a budget amendment.

• An agreement with Vested Networks for the replacement of the Police Department/Municipal Court telephone system and migration of the City’s hosted voice platform

The Police Department and Municipal Court currently operate an aging Avaya telephone system that has reached end-of-life and is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

Staff evaluated multiple hosted voice solutions and vendors for functionality, reliability, security, implementation, and long-term support. The Chief of Police participated in the evaluation and vendor selection process. Because Brown County occupies the opposite side of the Law Enforcement Center, the County was also included in project discussions to ensure they are aware of the City’s planned migration. The County has not yet determined whether it will transition to the same platform.

The proposed solution will migrate the Police Department and Municipal Court to the same hosted phone system functionality currently utilized by the remainder of the City, creating a single, standardized communications platform. This will provide four-digit dialing between all City departments, improve system administration, simplify future maintenance, and enhance business continuity.

As part of the agreement, if approved, Vested Networks will buy out the City’s existing Spectrum VoIP contract currently serving City Hall and other City departments. This will allow the City to consolidate all municipal telephone services under a single hosted voice platform, eliminating multiple phone systems and providers while improving operational efficiency and communications between departments which will reduce overall costs. The implementation includes new enterprise-grade Poly telephones, selected for their security, reliability, and widespread use within government and public safety organizations. Installation will be designed to minimize operational downtime. The proposal includes equipment, onboarding, number porting, and ongoing hosted PBX services.

• A Payment Processing License and Services Agreement with Tyler Technologies for the City’s utility billing credit card payment processing

Following a comprehensive review of customer feedback, system performance, and recent improvements implemented by Tyler Technologies, staff recommended transitioning Utility Billing payment processing to Tyler Technologies.

Over the past two years, the City has utilized an alternative payment processor for utility billing transactions. While this solution met immediate operational needs, Finance continued to monitor customer satisfaction, processing reliability, and overall user experience. During this period, Tyler Technologies conducted a full evaluation of their payment platform in response to widespread customer dissatisfaction. They have since completed a significant system revamp, addressing the issues that previously led the City to explore other options.

• A Global Payments Client Satisfaction Offer and authorized the City Manager to sign the offer

The Finance Department recommended approval of the rerate of credit card processing fees offered by Global Payments. This adjustment aligns with the City’s ongoing efforts to reduce the cost of credit card transactions incurred by both the City and the public.

According to their offer, the City’s effective rate would drop from 13.49% to 6.51% and the City should see savings of 64.17% or up to $139,299 annually. Since the City is doing this rerate directly through Global Payments, and not a consultant, it will be able to capture all the savings.

• The Resolution of Adoption acknowledging the City of Brownwood’s selection as a 2026 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Campaign Grant recipient and authorizing staff to continue project planning with the National Fitness Campaign

The City of Brownwood has been selected as a grant-eligible partner in the 2026 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Campaign through the National Fitness Campaign (NFC). The award provides eligibility for a $60,000 grant toward the development of an outdoor Fitness Court and shade structure for free public use.

The Fitness Court is a 38-foot by 38-foot outdoor functional training system organized around seven fundamental movements: core, squat, push, lunge, pull, agility, and bend. The equipment supports bodyweight-based exercises and multiple workout levels, allowing residents to complete full-body workouts independently or through organized classes. A mobile app provides guided workouts, exercise instruction, and additional programming.

The National Fitness Campaign program extends beyond the installation of exercise equipment. The partnership includes site and layout planning, campaign artwork, implementation support, local ambassador training, a public launch, and tools for ongoing classes, challenges, and community wellness events. The proposed shade structure would provide sun protection and extend seasonal use, while the design process offers opportunities to incorporate artwork that reflects Brownwood.

The proposed Fitness Court would complement the Bennie Houston Recreation Center improvement project by expanding the range of indoor and outdoor recreation and wellness opportunities available at the site. Staff intends to coordinate planning and construction so the Fitness Court can be completed on a timeline generally aligned with completion of the Bennie Houston Center, subject to final design, procurement, and construction schedules.

Together, the projects would create a more complete recreation destination and provide residents and visitors with additional opportunities to exercise, participate in wellness programming, and connect with the community. The Resolution of Adoption will allow staff to continue site, design, scheduling, and implementation planning. Any future funding authorization, procurement, or contract will be presented to the City Council separately.

• City Manager as the contractual signatory, and the City Manager and City Finance Director as financial signatories for the awarded Texas General Land Office Community Development and Revitalization Grant – MIT Resilient Community Program

At the June 9 City Council meeting, staff reported this grant had been awarded. The resolution acknowledges the grant award and the need for designated signatories so the City can properly execute required documents and receive funding.