County faces budget crisis as tax rates set to rise

During a recent government meeting, Hunt County officials addressed significant errors discovered in the published budget, which could have serious implications for the upcoming fiscal year. Jud Stovall, presiding over the meeting, announced that due to these mistakes, the county would be unable to correct and refile the budget in time for the September 30 deadline. As a result, the county is compelled to adopt a \"no new revenue rate\" for the upcoming budget cycle to avoid potential legal conflicts.

Stovall explained that the law mandates either the previous year's budget rate or the no new revenue rate, whichever is lower, if the budget is not approved on time. He recommended postponing the vote on the budget until the following Tuesday at 10 a.m. to allow for necessary adjustments.

The meeting also included public testimony, where residents expressed their concerns about rising property appraisals and taxes. Speaker Larry Ellis emphasized the frustration of constituents who feel burdened by increasing appraisals, which lead to higher tax bills despite no official rate increase. He commended the court for their efforts to address these issues and called for unity among residents.

The court reiterated that public comments are limited to three minutes and that they cannot take action on items not listed on the agenda, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. The meeting concluded with a commitment to address community concerns in future sessions.