Mineral Wells Area News

Reporting By Gary Norman / Mineral Wells Area News

Mineral Wells City Council took multiple cost-saving and regulatory actions Tuesday night, including joining a regional coalition to monitor electric utility rates and delaying a proposed increase in Oncor Electric’s charges to residential and municipal customers.

City Joins Oncor Advocacy Network

The city will now join the Steering Committee of Cities Served by Oncor, a 169-member coalition led by the City of Arlington that advocates on behalf of municipalities regarding electric rates and regulatory matters before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), ERCOT, courts, and the legislature.

Membership will cost the city $1,745.81, calculated at 11 cents per capita. Legal representation for the group is handled by the firm Lloyd Gosselink, which is reimbursed directly by Oncor.

Rate Hike Suspended for 90 Days

Under a related item, the council voted to suspend a proposed Oncor rate increase set to take effect on July 31. The proposed hike included a 12.3% increase for residential customers and a 51% increase in street lighting charges.

Had it passed unchallenged, the new rates would have cost the average household an additional $7.90 per month and the city about $125,000 for the remainder of the year.

The city’s action delays the rate increase by 90 days, allowing Mineral Wells to work with other cities in the steering committee to study and potentially contest the hike before the PUCT. Without this move, the rate change would have been automatically approved.

Procurement Card Program Aims to Cut Costs, Streamline Purchases

Council also approved an agreement with JP Morgan Chase Bank to provide procurement card services, expected to reduce payment processing costs by up to 76%.

The new system will enable authorized city personnel to make necessary purchases with greater efficiency, improve cash flow tracking, and shift IRS 1099 reporting to the card provider.

Finance Director and Assistant City Manager Jason Bovos told council members that JP Morgan Chase had waived all fees, and that the cards come with fraud protection, daily transaction limits, and purchase restrictions. He added that the city is expected to earn between $5,000 and $15,000 annually in rebates from card use.

Bovos said a formal procurement card use policy will be presented to the council for review at its August 5 meeting.

New Payment System Agreement Could Save City $420,000 Annually

Council also approved a revised agreement with Global Payments Integrated to reduce credit card processing fees for utility payments. The updated terms are projected to save the city about $35,000 per month, or $420,000 per year.

The agreement is valid for 24 months and not to exceed $480,000 annually. It does not affect systems used for building inspections or Mineral Wells Regional Airport transactions.

Bovos noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the city waived a 4% credit card convenience fee to encourage online payments. He told the council he is open to reevaluating that policy as part of the budget process and will perform a legal and cost analysis before making a recommendation.

Other Council Actions

Mayor Regan Johnson presented a proclamation designating July as Parks and Recreation Month in Mineral Wells. Council received an update on the MH 379 Street Reconstruction Project. Council approved an agreement to provide EMS clinical training services to Possum Kingdom Lake EMS. The council approved the City’s May 2025 financial reports. A public hearing was held and a preliminary plat approved for a 45-lot subdivision on MH 379, proposed by 4K Real Estate Holdings