Brazos County commissioners approve borrowing money on 4-1 votes

This podcast contains comments from the May 19, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.Brazos County commissioners approve at their May 19th meeting, borrowing $45 million dollars.Seven million is part of the $100 million dollar bond issue approved by voters in November 2022 for road projects.And $38 million in certificates of obligation (CO) that was not approved by voters is going towards renovations at the administration building and the new courthouse annex.The commission's votes were 4-1.Fred Brown voted no because he was under the impression that Brazos County was paying cash.County judge Duane Peters agreed he liked paying cash. But Peters pointed out the 20 year CO's are going towards financing construction projects that are expected to last 40 years. Peters also used an illustration of buying a home by borrowing the money.The county's outside financial advisor Blake Roberts told commissioners that their high bond rating of AA+ reflects the commission's financial practices and policies.Click HERE to read and download background information about the general obligation bond financing that was approved at the May 19, 2026 Brazos County commission meeting.Click HERE to read and download background information about the certificates of obligation that was approved by county commissioners.