The majority of traffic stops resulted in warnings, not tickets, dispelling the perception Taylor officers are only trying to generate revenue when they pull someone over, City Council heard during an annual report last week.
Police stopped 4,679 motorists in 2024, resulting in 46 arrests, 2,820 warnings and 1,813 written citations. No complaints of racial profiling were made.
“The number of citations issued is much lower than the number of warnings issued,” Police Chief Henry Fluck said Feb. 27. “The reason I like to emphasize that is there are some people who think that traffic enforcement has something to do with generating revenue. And you can see that’s clearly not the case when the majority of our traffic stops result in warnings.”
In other business during the meeting, council members heard from the Taylor Housing Authority, approved more money for a tourism plan, got an update on a survey about the city’s permitting process and OK’d $4 million for a sewer main.
Breaking down the traffic stops, Fluck said 44% were listed as Anglo drivers, 40.1% were Hispanic, 12.4% were Black and just over 3% with either Asian, Pacific Islander, Alaska Native or American Indian.
The percentages align fairly well with Taylor’s 2020 population estimates, with the exception of Black drivers who represented over 12% of stops but only 6.5% of the population.
Fluck said the comparison between traffic stops and population can be misleading, because the population estimates include non-drivers as well as drivers who are passing through Taylor but don’t live in the city.
According to the most recent demographic figures, the town’s population last year was registered as 17,946, a 10.32% jump from the 2020 census population of 16,267.
Women drivers made up less than one-third of those stopped, with police pulling over 1,404 female drivers compared to 3,275 males.
Physical force was used during 11 of the traffic stops. In five cases, the detainees were Anglo, four were Hispanic and two Black. No bodily injury to either the auto’s occupants or officers was reported.
In other council news, Taylor Housing Authority Executive Director Shea Goltzman gave an update on the organization.
Construction on the Mary Olson Development is expected to begin this summer and end in spring 2026.
This is a faster turnaround on the 46 residential units and office because Goltzman contracted a company specializing in rapid construction, the council heard. Tenants will be relocated while their units are being renovated.
The council also approved an additional infusion of funding for the Taylor tourism plan being developed by the Greater Taylor Chamber of Commerce. Taylor has not had a tourism plan before.
The initiative was originally expected to cost $55,000. The project was awarded to Cygnet Strategies in August. After completing the first phase, consultants identified additional steps that needed to be taken, officials said.
Broadening the scope will result in an additional $38,000 in expenses.
The council agreed to split the cost with the Chamber at $19,000 each.
“I see the value in it because you’re already saving us money by focusing our efforts for one message,” said Councilman Robert Garcia. “We need to have a plan otherwise we’re just running around, seven different entities trying to fight the same fight instead of concentrating our money.”
In addition, council members received an update from Development Director Scott Dunlop about an audit the city is conducting on the permit process. The survey results are due March 7, with the final plan to make changes being presented to the council in June.
The audit is expected to make it easier for developers to work with the city by pinpointing areas that need to change and increasing the use of technology.
Finally, a contract was approved to award $3,999,526.24 to AO Services for construction of the 24-inch Airport Gravity Sewer Main. The new sewer main is estimated to provide around 5 million gallons per day of capacity before downstream improvements would be needed.
AO Services was the lowest of 13 bidders, with the highest coming in at almost $7 million.
