For Release: June 26, 2025
The Hood County Clean Air Coalition (HCCAC) received a major boost from three governmental agencies in the past 10 days as the Coalition continues its fight to keep Hood County out of an ozone non-attainment designation.
Michelle McKenzie, the Air Quality Program Manager, and HCCAC Board Chairman Mark Franco spoke to both the Granbury City Council on Tuesday, June 17 and the Hood County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, June 24. The pair was seeking funding for the Coalition’s efforts and presented a status report on the ongoing monitoring project.
Granbury City Council approved a budget increase of $5,000 for the City of Granbury’s support for HCCAC, which now totals $30,000 for fiscal year 2026. However, the city’s budget must be adopted in September for the increase to take effect.
Meantime, the Hood County Commissioners approved (by a 5-0 vote) an increase of $5,000 (for total funding of $30,000 for the year) in support of the Clean Air Coalition. HCCAC board member Chuck Licata joined McKenzie and Franco at the podium for the meeting.
Earlier this month, the City of Cresson increased its annual funding by $500, for a total annual donation of $3,000.
The Clean Air Coalition is overseeing two projects funded by an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Granbury and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). One is a monitoring project, conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, including four monitors installed at locations in Hood County around the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulatory monitor located in the County Annex parking lot, with another monitor installed to the south in Somervell County.
About HCCAC: HCCAC serves air quality planning for Hood County to address ozone air pollution in the county with a nine-member board that includes representatives of Hood County, the cities of Granbury and Cresson, and local businesses and citizens of Hood County. More information about HCCAC can be found on the coalition’s web site, www.hccleanair.org.