On Monday, April 12, Dr. Janis Cordes , serving as MCHD President, addressed the Menard County Commissioners during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The presentation follows:
Taxing entities are responsible for essential services in a community. I think we can all agree that law enforcement, fire departments and emergency medical services are essential, as well as water, sewer, good schools, good roads and internet.
Public servants who help to provide those services need to be commended for their abilities to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, as it is tax money that funds most of all those essential services, (except internet). I commend the Menard Commis sioners Court for their due diligence to utilize opportunities from public funds, and state and federal programs to ensure this county will continue to have the essential services we desire.
There has been a great deal of concern regarding BESS failures and the public health risk to the citizens of Menard. According to my research, BESS failures are statistically rare per installed capacity and are declining with improved design. Air toxins show no measurable public health risk beyond the immediate fire zone. So, risk is localized and of short duration. Explosion risk is a real concern but generally contained within the engineered enclosures and soil contamination as a secondary risk could require controlled containment and disposal. The public health risk would be from an acute incident fire, not ongoing exposure.
Comparatively, oil and gas plants and pipelines have a much higher risk of explosions with chronic emissions resulting in higher air pollution and the potential for higher catastrophic event severity, and chemical plants and refineries can create large scale evacuation zones and long-term environmental con- tamination.
Research shows that to minimize community risk, certain variables should be considered: the distance from residences, the fire department capability, the site design and battery chemistry and emergency planning.
I am confident that the Menard Volunteer Fire Department and the emergency management team will educate themselves to the best of their ability and be prepared for a potential event.
I recently visited with retired Concho County Judge, Allen Amos, who reminded me that there are a lot greater noise level and risk of toxic chemical exposure from traffic on Highway 83 and 190 in Menard than from a potential BESS facility.
About 12 years ago, there was a cow that escaped from Menard Animal Clinic into the highway. An oil tanker swerved to miss the cow and spilled oil on the ground and highway just south of the clinic. My late husband, Dr. Richard Cordes, spent several months dealing with the EPA and with the decontamination resulting from that accident.
My husband was Menard County judge when the solar farm was established in eastern Menard County, which has generated a total of $564k in tax revenue so far, with $178k to Menard County Hospital District.
MCHD is responsible for providing healthcare to Menard County residents by supplementing the Menard Manor nursing home, providing for a rural health care clinic, providing emergency health care services, assisting with indigent health care, and the district also provides a facility for Head Start, and assists in providing mental health services to Menard County inmates. The district owns the Manor building, the EMS station and the Frontera clinic building; two ambulances and several pieces of EMS equipment. Annually, the district pays about $75k insurance premiums with a $250k wind and hail deduction. During the floods in 2025, there was significant damage to the Menard Manor building and insurance did not cover the repairs. To date, MCHD has paid $850k for repairs and mitigation, and we are still waiting for FEMA to reimburse a portion of that expense.
Menard Manor is owned by Menard County Hospital District: in other words, Menard County taxpayers. The Manor is dependent on state and federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid, as well as privatepay residents. State and federal agencies tend to be very slow in delivering funds through reimbursements, yet highly regulated as to staffing, safety and quality of care. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements do not meet the financial needs of the nursing home without tax dollars. We are proud of the nursing home; we have great staff and receive many compliments from patients and families for the care tendered there.
MCHD is also currently working with Frontera Healthcare Network on grant opportunities to help upgrade the equipment needed for emergency medical services.
The 2025 tax rate for MCHD was 53 cents, to provide an anticipated revenue of $1,781,000. Supporting the BESS project would benefit the MCHD with about $400,000 per year, which is about 22% of the total tax generated for the district. This equates to about 8.7 cents of tax, and this increased revenue to the district could help alleviate tax increases to Menard County taxpayers during the life of the project.
I have heard speculation concerning the life of the project. There are no guarantees of any business that sets up shop in our community or any other community, that the business will continue to exist one, two, five, even 10 years after being established. However, I do not think this should dissuade us from encouraging new business ventures.
Each year, as we prepare budgets, and set tax rates, we must consider the ever-increasing expenses of the entity we are responsible for, and that the same group of taxpayers will again be responsible for providing the finances required to provide the essential services.
I have a friend from Guadalupe County who has been in the fire department and served as fire chief for over 40 years, who told me that emergency services are a bottomless pit we throw money into. Yet how important are those services when it comes to our own needs.
I am thankful for the forward thinking of Menard County Commissioner Court for considering adding a BESS facility to our local tax rolls. Menard County, MISD, and Menard Manor are the three largest employers in the county, all of which provide those essential services we need and want to make our community a place we want to live, work, raise families and retire. But all three of those employers require tax dollars to be successful.
I am encouraged that Menard County Commissioners Court is seeking alternative sources of tax revenue to provide for the continued needs of this community. And I trust the Court with their commitment to the public health and safety of this community by researching this project and considering public opinion.
The Texas state legislature regulates property rights in the state, and we as a local community have no legal right to come up with our own ordinances. Federal and state agencies, such as EPA, OSHA, and Texas Department of Health each have regulatory requirements to cover fire safety and environmental concerns that govern every business in the community, from Menard Manor to the gas stations, to the restaurants and even my veterinary business.
Thank you
Dr. Janis Cordes and her late husband Dr. Richard Cordes moved to Menard in 1978 when they purchased Menard Animal Clinic and a home to raise their family. As president of Menard County Hospital District, Dr. Cordes always appreciates the opportunity to discuss the importance of the public servants in Menard and how we can support them.