The City of Edna will have a new person representing it on the Jackson County Appraisal District’s Board of Directors beginning in January.
During Thursday’s regular meeting, the Edna City Council approved a resolution requested by JCAD to officially update how the county appraisal district’s Board of Directors is composed. The council then approved Mayor Lance Smiga’s recommendation of Edna resident Mickael Jordan to fill the city’s seat on the board.
Smiga, who has served as the city’s representative on the board for the past four years, said that the appraisal district had decided to update its board policy after citizen concern and that the resolution did not change how the city is represented on the board.
“The Appraisal District has been challenged by multiple citizens on how they appoint their board of directors,” Smiga told the council during Thursday’s open session. “Unfortunately, there is no paperwork from when they were initially installed, so they’re sending out this resolution to all of the entities who are able to appoint a member to the board. They need everybody to approve this. This will go into effect on January 1.
The City of Edna still gets to appoint one member to the board, so what we are allocated has not changed. We just need to pass the resolution.”
Under the updated resolution, the appraisal district will have one director each from Jackson County, the City of Edna, the City of Ganado, Edna ISD, Industrial ISD, Ganado ISD, and Palacios ISD, with the seven appointed directors drawing lots to see which four will serve an initial one-year term and which three will serve an initial two-year term, with all transitioning to staggered two-year terms.
After the unanimous vote to approve the resolution, Smiga explained that he did not wish to serve another two-year term on the appraisal district Board of Directors when his current term expires on Dec. 31. He praised JCAD for what he deemed positive changes but said that it was time for someone else to step in on the board.
“I think the new chief appraiser is doing a wonderful job and there’s new software coming in that’s going to help them tremendously,” Smiga said. “There’s a lot of great things going on there and we need to appoint somebody to keep that going. I have reached out to Mickael Jordan. I think whoever is on this board needs to be very detail-oriented and very passionate about the board they’re on in order to keep that thing moving in a positive direction.”
In other business, the council:
· Approved the minutes of the July 16 meeting;
· Heard public comments;
· Approved a request from Marcy Davis, secretary for the Jackson County Youth Fair, for $5,000 in sponsorship donation from hotel/motel funds to use for such things as covering the cost of fair judges’ lodging and meals;
· Approved an engagement agreement with Harrison, Waldrop & Uherek, LLP, for the 2025-2026 annual audit. A change from the Texas Legislature requiring audits to be done in a more restricted time frame has led to a higher demand for auditor services;
· Approved a lease agreement with Innovative Network of Knowledge, formerly known as Head Start, for the annual lease of the building at Shelby Park for $400 a month;
· Awarded a bid to Mercer Controls from the General Land Office Reallocation Grant for control panels at the Kleas and Mexico lift stations;
· Approved city upkeep for a property donated from David Rose for the Friends of Edna Memory Garden, including the electric and water bills, mowing, and trimming;
· Approved an agreement between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Edna Police Department;
· Approved the payment of $480,289.30 in current bills;
· Heard reports from city staff;
· Entered executive session for discussion of personnel matters; and
· Took no action upon returning from executive session.
During the City Staff Reports portion of the meeting, Broz said that crews have done a “Miracle on Miracle” Drive with the drainage pipe replacement and rebuilding the road structure to the point of its initial layer of asphalt. Crews are working on completing the drainage on Foxglove and have begun installing drainage boxes (connection points for pipes coming together from multiple directions) on Division Street. We will have Miracle open for the first day of school.
The city also has received word from the Texas Department of Emergency Management that they will fund the price increase on the Kleas and Sunset generators. The Kleas generator has already been installed, but the Sunset one will go out for re-bidding. In addition, staff has begun the paperwork for the Police Department’s backup generator. Staff is scheduling a pre-construction meeting for the General Land Office Reallocation Grant and also has completed the application for and hopes to hear news on the Texas Water Development Board Water Line Replacement Grant sometime in mid-September.
A meeting has been scheduled to come up with an affordable plan to upgrade the animal shelter. Project Remodel is moving slowly. (City Finance Director) Valerie (Callaway) and Broz are working on the proposed budget. The city has received two foundation grants for the splash pads.
Callaway said that the city has opened 16 new water/sewer accounts, transferred three accounts, and closed 24 accounts. The Finance Department has closed out the month of July and prepared the financial statements, is working with Broz on the 2026-2027 city budget, and has completed the 2026 tax calculation for Jackson County Tax Assessor-Collector Monica Foster. The tax rate will be figured with the new budget.
Monthly sales tax for July has been processed and paid (solid waste sales). Total sales were $87,525 with $7,000.09 paid in sales tax. The hotel/motel tax received for the fiscal year as of Aug. 6 is $72,514.32.
Proceeds from the city’s ornament sales reached $5,112.78, Callaway said, which funded the purchase of a lighted Santa sleigh and three reindeer for $5,109.50 from Holiday Lights. In addition, the Flag City Fund has a balance of $5,464.01 for next year after all of the expenses were paid for the June 13 event.
City Streets Supervisor Andy Brzozowski said that crews have cleaned the west-facing ditch on N. Colorado Street from Daniel’s Tacos to the third house and have replaced two driveway pipes and installed a new drive on this ditch. John has finished shredding and we are trimming areas throughout town. We cleaned a ditch on Moody Street and replaced a driveway pipe.
Utilites Director Brad Ryan said that workers pulled the pump at the Mexico Lift Station and at the plant and de-ragged both. In addition, they also filled the generators with diesel; repaired a water leak at the dead end of Harris Street; did disconnects and reconnects; repaired a water leak on Ed Lynn Street; repaired a water leak at State Farm Insurance; changed out the chlorine bottles at both wells; stood by while the generator at the Kleas Well was being tested and received training on the new generator; and cleaned up around the shop.
City Police Chief Kenneth Pyle said that the Edna Police Department has conducted 78 traffic stops, written 21 citations, issued 98 warnings, made six arrests, responded to 183 calls for service with 466 frequent/extra patrols, with 25 reportable offenses and six crash reports in the month of July. There were 55 total incidents and 25 offenses, including one fondling; one simple assault; two intimidations; one burglary; one counterfeiting/forgery; one credit card fraud; two drug/narcotic violations; three driving while intoxicated; and 12 other offenses.
During June, EPD investigated reportable motor vehicle crashes on July 2 at 6:10 p.m. at S. Wells and E. Division Street; July 5 at 6:19 p.m. at Flournoy Street and W. Ash Street; July 7 at 4:20 a.m. at Fannin Street and Hurst Street; July 9 at 4:41 p.m. at N. Pumphrey Street and W. Main Street; July 10 at 9:32 p.m. at E. Houston Hwy. and U.S. 59 southbound; and July 20 at 7:55 a.m. on U.S. 59 northbound.
Officers from the EPD attended and ALERRT training in Edna on July 27-28. In addition, Pyle attended the mandatory Chief Leadership Training in Fort Worth on July 27-31, hosted by LEMIT, and also the Public Information Officer School in San Marcos on Aug. 4-5, in accordance with House Bill 33.
City Parks Supervisor/Code Enforcement Jaime Liepe reported that the Buildings and Standards Commission met on July 28, with the result that one resident was allowed to get a building permit and other property was put on hold until new owners can be contacted, but they must secure the building from entry. Liepe has been training with (City Secretary) Sonya (Robinson) for liens.
The city is working 25 open Code Violation Cases. They are still waiting for three properties to be demolished by the owner. Six letters were sent for court appearance for Aug. 4, with the result being that one called and was given extra time for cleanup, one appeared in court and was given until the 17th to get it taken care of, and the others will be given Failure to Appear (FTA) and Violation fines. The city has also sent contractors out to mow four properties.