Brewster

Brewster County

Updated on: November 15, 2021
Coordinates
29° 48' 42.66" N, 103° 15' 6.12" W (29.81185, -103.2517)
State
Texas
Region
West
County Seat:
Alpine
Year Organized:
1887
Total Square Miles:
6192.252
6,184 square miles (16,020 km2) land
8.5 square miles (22 km2) (0.1%) water
Population:
9337 (2017)
Population: 9,232 (2010)
Persons/Square Mile:
2
Brewster County Website
http://www.brewstercountytx.com/

Contiguous Counties

Pecos (N)
Terrell (NE)
Presidio (W)
Jeff Davis (NW)
Manuel Benavides, Chihuahua, Mexico (SW)
Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico (SE)
Ocampo, Coahuila, Mexico (S)

County structure

Government Type:
County
Authority:
Dillon's Rule
Legislative Body:
Commisioners Court
Size of Legislative Body:
5

Demographics

2018 Population:
9337
25 to 64 Years of Age:
50.88%
65 Years of Age and Older:
23.14%

Economy, 2018

Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
$374.0 M
Labor Force:
4,062
Unemployment Rate:
3.40%

County Contact

PO BOX 1630
County Courthouse
Alpine, TX, 79831-1630

http://www.co.brewster.tx.us

Brewster county is the largest Texas county. It’s in the west Texas region in the Trans-Pecos area. The county also has the largest park in Texas, known as Big Bend National park. The county borders Presidio, Jeff Davis, Pros, and Terrell counties to the West, Northwest, and East.  

Alpine is its county seat. Brewster county center is fifty miles SE Alpine, nearly 29° 51′ N 103° 01′ W. The extensive county has an area of 6169 sq. mi. Though extensive, the area comprises mountainous and rough terrain with different elevations, which range between seventeen hundred as the lowest and 7825 as the highest. The highest pick is on the Emory peak.  

Brewster county produces mercury and is among the country’s leading mercury producers. Here’s what you may need to learn about Brewster County, Texas.   

Brewster County Soils, Flora, and Fauna 

The county’s soils are primarily stony and shallow. However, some are loamy sandy and clay subsoils. On the lower elevations of Brewster county, you have source grasses that are drought resistant. 

You’ll also find desert shrubs like Lechuguila, ocotillo, acacias, cactus sotol, tarbrush, and others. Plus, you may find vast grasslands in the Brewster county mountain basins in the intermediate elevations. Here, you’ll find trees like the juniper, white oak pinon woodlands dominating the mountain slopes. 

On the high elevations, you may find trees like cypress Arizona pine, Madrone, oaks, Maple tree, douglas fir, and aspen.  

Animals found in Brewster county include the Mule deer, pronghorn antelopes, white-tail deer, bobcat, the desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, black bears, badgers, raccoons, Colima warblers, and others.    

Please note: the average ground season days per year is 239 days, with a yearly precipitation of about twelve inches. Plus, minimal land (about one percent or less) is prime for farming.  

Brewster County Offices 

Brewster county offices include the constables, county clerk, county judge, county treasurer, county attorney, and county auditor. The other county offices include the county judge, emergency management office, public information, the road and bridge sheriff’s office, the tax assessor, veterans services, and an elections administrator.   

The current judge is judge Eleazar R. Cano. The current County Clerk is Sarah Vasquez, while J. Steve Houston is the County Attorney. The county treasurer is Julie K Morton, while the emergency management officer is Stephanie Elmore.  

You may contact these and other brewster county offices by mail, phone, or fax. You may find all county offices details, including the current officer, plus the contact details on the brewster county website. 

Brewster County Commissioners Court 

The county’s commissioners court has four commissioners. Each commissioner represents a specific precinct. The court also comprises the county judge. Brewster county commissioners meet regularly; twice every month. They hold their meetings on the 2nd and the 4th Wednesday each month unless they schedule it otherwise.   

Every commissioner’s meeting must follow a specific schedule. Mostly, the schedule is posted on the public notice at least seventy-two hours before the meeting. Thus, you may see the latest commissioner’s court agenda live.   

You may also see the conflict disclosure statements, the actual precincts, the schedule plus the rules, or the meeting on the Brewster county commissioners’ court web page. Here are some commissioners’ court rules and procedures. 

Brewster County Public Notices, Open Government, and Meetings  

All Brewster county citizens may find public notices, including the prohibitions, the passed agenda, and COVID-19 updates in the Brewster county public notices. They also keep the citizens updated with all the commissioner’s court meetings plus the proposed agenda.  

If you may need the commissioner’s court minutes and other court archive agendas, you may find them in the Brewster Open government and meetings. 

Voting and Elections 

All Brewster county residents may apply for elections via the Brewster county department of elections. You may apply for the ballot by mail. Plus, recently, the department issued a public notice in the automatic tabulating equipment. Here are some notices about the election process: 

The election officer may grant voting priority for individuals with mobility trouble that substantially affects their voting ability. The person assisting the one with mobility problems may also have the grant should they request it.  

The individuals who may qualify for the order include those with lung disease, those using portable oxygen, with cardiac deficiency, arthritis, foot disorders, and those using walking assistance aids. If you qualify for this order, you may use it at any polling station in Brewster. 

Brewster County Employees Pay 

The typical Brewster county employees get paid according to the payment agreed upon by the commissioner’s court. New workers start at the beginner pay rate indicated in their job description. However, the departmental heads and the elected officials issue your discretion and increase your start pay to upgrade by three grades.  

Some factors may affect the amount an employee gets. These include the years you’ve served, which equals your experience on your job. Also, the years you served in your previous workplace. Other factors like special qualifications that exceed the minimum requirement may attract extra pay from the unique qualification.  

However, the higher pay comes if your extra qualification meets the county’s budget limitations and requirements. For instance, if you occupy your position in the mid-year when the county has insufficient funds, you will be paid for that particular qualification by the beginning of the following budget year.  

Brewster County Purchasing Policy 

Each department in Brewster county must use purchase orders for any purchase. The departments get the purchase orders from the office of the auditor via the assistant auditor. Plus, the auditor gets the purchase orders from authorized personnel or each department.  

The purchase order must include the following descriptions: 

  • Indicate if the purchase is from a brewster county vendor; if they are not from the county, the department must provide a w9 
  • The item description of the item  
  • The approximated cost 
  • The department fund number 
  • After completing the purchase order, the county verifies the funds, and you may proceed with the purchase.  
  • While issuing the invoice, you must include a copy of the purchase order. And finally, the department head must approve every purchase.