Coryell County starts early IT budget talks with Goldsmith Solutions

Coryell County is already confronting how much residents may have to pay to keep county computers, servers and wiring working, with a Goldsmith Solutions representative telling commissioners that the next IT budget should land in the $400,000 to $500,000 range. The warning was blunt: about 53% of county devices need immediate attention or repair, while only 16% are fully up to date.

The discussion on Tuesday, May 12, moved the county’s technology needs squarely into budget season. Sam Goldsmith said planning has to cover the full life cycle of county assets, including computers, printers, backup batteries, servers and wiring, while also keeping state statutes in mind for the software and equipment used by different departments. That matters because county technology is not a side expense. It affects cybersecurity, access to records, and the systems county offices rely on every day to keep operations moving.

The conversation comes after a long paper trail. Coryell County first put managed IT services on an Oct. 3, 2025 special-meeting agenda for a closed session to interview respondents and deliberate about critical infrastructure. A county record from Oct. 14 then set a special meeting for Oct. 20 to discuss vendors under RFP #25-04. Minutes from that Oct. 20 meeting show the court entered executive session to discuss a cybersecurity measure, policy or contract intended to protect a critical infrastructure facility, and reporting from that meeting says commissioners voted 3-2 to select Goldsmith Solutions.

By Oct. 28, county agenda materials showed commissioners were already considering an IT transition team, underscoring that the change was being treated as a broader shift in infrastructure and security planning. Goldsmith Solutions has been described in local reporting as handling proactive monitoring, management and maintenance of IT infrastructure and end-user systems.

The budget talk sits against a larger county financial backdrop. Coryell County’s FY 2026 approved budget was posted publicly after commissioners approved it on Sept. 23, 2025, and county tax-impact materials list the adopted 2025 tax rate at 0.4752 compared with a no-new-revenue rate of 0.43739. Even a few hundred thousand dollars in IT spending can ripple through those numbers, especially as commissioners prepare for the next budget cycle.

The May 12 meeting also included grant updates and building needs at the 800 Main Street Annex. Roger Miller said paperwork had been submitted for several projects, including a FEMA Disaster Relief grant that is back in play. He also announced a $3.9 million grant for the Straws Mill Road project and two courthouse master plan grants submitted on Friday, May 8. The grant list touched the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Resilient Communities Program, CDBG-MIT funds and FEMA Disaster Relief 4781, showing the county juggling technology, capital repairs and outside funding at the same time.