Taylor City Council Meeting - May 20, 2026

The Taylor City Council met on May 20, 2026, at 6:30 PM (local time) to approve routine budgets, a sole-source fire equipment purchase, and a police firearm auction. Public comments addressed city inspection issues, the 287G immigration agreement, and golf course construction. A late resolution to condemn a U.S. House member's vote failed 5-2.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the agenda and minutes of the May 5, 2026 meeting.
• Approved the reappointments of Stephanie Krueger, Christopher Dunn, and Tom O'Lett to the Veterans Museum Commission for three-year terms expiring May 31, 2029.
• Approved a consent agenda containing routine items (not individually specified).

Public Comments & Testimony

• First speaker (no name given): Complained that city inspection workers are targeting him due to a neighbor who is a relative of a city employee, alleging harassment and that the neighbor has garbage in his yard. Also objected to a $50+ fee for a permit to install a flagpole, calling it a "travesty of justice." Council members suggested discussing the matter with the mayor after the meeting.
• Second speaker (no name given): Provided a detailed factual correction of misconceptions about the 287G agreement with ICE discussed at a previous meeting. He clarified that the agreement does not give ICE authority to enter the city, does not require reporting of undocumented immigrants generally, does not prohibit joint operations but makes cooperation mandatory, and that Taylor Police would be under ICE supervision in joint operations. He distributed copies of the agreement from the ICE website.
• Third speaker (no name given): Resident at 14400 Gully Street complained about the city's property (sidewalk to curb) being overgrown with ruts and tall grass, the street torn up by heavy equipment from golf course construction, and a large pothole in front of his driveway. He also requested that mowers not start at 6:30 AM in the future. Council members said the grass would be addressed and the street would be fixed after construction.

Discussion Items

• 7.1 Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) Budget FY26-27: Council member Thomas explained TIFA has funded major infrastructure (animal shelter, sportsplex, DPW building, golf courses, road reconstruction) without raising taxes. The budget was approved unanimously.
• 7.2 Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Budget FY26-27: Approved unanimously without discussion.
• 7.3 Heart Monitor Devices (Fire Department): Sole source purchase of three heart monitor devices from Stryker Pro Care for $191,294, funded through the general fund fire department ALS account. Fire department representatives explained obsolete units on engines would be replaced by moving current ambulance units to engines, and new units would go on squads. The devices are state-of-the-art and can communicate with hospitals. Trade-in value for obsolete units was noted. Approved unanimously.
• 7.4 Police Firearm Auction: Approved Cabela's as highest responsible bidder for $38,060. Unanimous.
• 7.5 Officer Training: Approved two officers to attend Exxon CEO Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, at no cost to the city. Unanimous.
• 7.6 Wellness Program: Approved sole source for First Gravity Personalized Wellness Agency program, not to exceed $7,200, funded through MCO CPE training fund. Unanimous.
• 7.7 Budget Amendment: Approved City of Taylor budget amendment for FY26-27 dated May 19, 2026. Unanimous.
• 7.8 Aircraft Insurance: Approved Global Aerospace Inc. for aircraft insurance, not to exceed $5,832, funded through general fund. Unanimous.
• Resolution Condemning U.S. House Member: Council member Armstrong introduced a last-minute resolution to condemn Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for voting no on House Resolution 1252 (honoring fallen police officers, which passed 418-2). Several council members objected to the timing (not discussed at study session), the appropriateness of condemning a federal official, and the lack of understanding of her reasons. Council member Armstrong stated it was about condemning the vote, not the person. The audience speaker asked if there was a legitimate reason for the no vote. After debate, the motion failed on a roll call vote: 5 no (Pats, Clark, Wallace, Thomas, Johnson) and 2 yes (Armstrong, Thety).

Key Outcomes

• All consent agenda items and routine agenda items (7.1-7.8) were approved unanimously.
• The resolution condemning a U.S. House member failed 5-2.
• Announcements: Battle of the Badges (police vs. firefighters) baseball game on May 29 at Heritage Park at 7 PM; early voting notices (added Monday for early voting before general elections only); HVAC repairs ongoing; June 16 and July 7 council meetings relocated to Lakes of Taylor; city offices closed May 25 for Memorial Day.
• Meeting adjourned at 7:09 PM.