County public works creates four new positions to boost road and bridge operations

Midland County is set to enhance its public works and road operations with the approval of four new positions aimed at improving efficiency and managing increased workloads. During the February 18, 2025, Commissioner’s Court meeting, officials discussed the necessity of these roles to address current challenges within the department.

The proposed positions include an Operations and Project Manager and a Road and Bridge Foreman, both designed to streamline road construction and maintenance efforts. The Operations and Project Manager will oversee capital projects related to road construction while also managing road and bridge maintenance. This consolidation is expected to improve coordination and effectiveness in the department.

Additionally, a new Regulations Manager and a part-time Capital Projects Assistant Manager are being considered. The Regulations Manager will replace a previous employee who left in January and will focus on internal land and right-of-way purchases, which are currently handled by third parties. The part-time assistant manager will support the growing capital project workload, which currently includes significant contracts totaling around $180 million.

The funding for the Road and Bridge positions will come from the existing budget, ensuring that these changes can be implemented quickly. However, the public works positions may require further budget adjustments, as they could exceed the current salary budget by approximately $20,000.

These staffing changes are crucial as Midland County prepares for an increase in capital project spending in the coming months. The swift implementation of these roles is expected to alleviate some of the growing pains experienced by the public works department, ultimately benefiting the community through improved infrastructure management.