Get a digital scanner, if you go analog and the county changes to digital you are SOL, and if you don't like scanning and try to sell, it will be easier to sell a digital scanner than an analog one. Stay away from the HP2 and go for a BCD436HP or SDS100 great radios and easy to sell if needed.
While I am
not trying to get the OP to overspend his budget, especially since he is unsure, so far, as to whether or not he wants to get into scanning, it appears changes are in the works in his area. Hence, the suggestion to try the Broadcastify
feed for Madisonville Fire Rescue as a zero cost try out. There are a number of feeds, including some for law enforcement, in the counties surrounding Madison.
The low cost analog scanners being discussed may work for now, but that window may close earlier than expected. I did some searches regarding Madison County and their communications. The attached file is an article from the local newspaper in Madisonville. This discusses upcoming changes for Madison County, and their intention to migrate communications to a new system. Reading the comments in the article, and also reading the minutes from Commissioners Court
meetings in Madison County, the county is moving to a system that interconnects with neighboring counties, Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications. The counties specifically mentioned in the news article, Brazos & Walker, are on TxWARN. While I did not completely read every line of all the commissioners court sessions, in February (this year) the county gave approval to start the process to upgrade. Additional approvals were in May meetings minutes,
05/11/2020 and
05/26/2020. For the May 26th meeting, discussion includes that the Department of Public Safety (Texas state policing agency) will be providing a "Six Pack Repeater System" (their terms) to be installed on a county owned tower. I presume that means a six channel site. The state is providing the repeater, with the county responsible for installation & antenna costs. Reference is also made that there are subscriber costs, $16.71, or less, per radio per month, and states that those costs will have to be included in the next budget year. The budget year starts October 1st, so it appears that the change will be in place sometime between now & possibly next spring.