WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS TO VOTE ON BUDGET, TAX RATE

  

Washington County Commissioners will hold a public hearing and vote to adopt the new year’s budget and property tax rate on Tuesday.

The most recent proposed budget available on the county’s website, dated August 15^th, showed a total of $44,628,526.  However, County Judge John Durrenberger told KWHI on Friday that those budget numbers have since been reduced and that the budget is now lower. 

A list of line item adjustments to the requested budget, dated September 6^th, was added to the website late Friday, but it does not list a new overall total in comparison to the $44,628,526, only individual changes for specific departments and offices. 

Last year’s adopted budget was $40,330,551.  According to the agenda packet for Tuesday’s meeting, the new budget would raise more revenue from property taxes than the 2022-23 budget by $1,631,352, a 7.22 percent increase.  Of that amount, $527,975 is revenue raised from new property on the tax roll. 

The newly proposed tax rate of $0.3840 per $100 valuation is lower than the rate of $0.3898 that was initially presented in August, and is also a reduction from last year’s adopted rate of $0.3860.

The new rate is made up of $0.2940 for maintenance and operations, $0.0823 for road and bridge and $0.0077 for interest and sinking.

Following action on the budget and tax rate, the court will hold another public hearing and take a vote on the Washington County Clerk’s proposed records archive plan for the new fiscal year.  The plan is for the preservation and restoration of archived records. 

After the regular meeting, commissioners will open a meeting for the Pecan Glen Road District to levy the road district’s tax rate at $0.33407 per $100 valuation for the new tax year.  The tax only applies to residents within the Pecan Glen subdivision. 

Also on Tuesday, commissioners will consider:

• Appointing Bob Cox to the Washington County Historical Commission to serve the remainder of the 2023-24 term. 
• A subdivision variance request amendment for a land division fronting Cedar Hill Road in Precinct 3.
• A subdivision variance request for a land division fronting Bosse Road in Precinct 1.

Commissioners will meet Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Washington County Courthouse.