Hunt County officials propose 1.6¢ tax-rate increase to address growth, reserves

At a meeting of the Hunt County Commissioners Court, the presiding judge presented a proposed property tax rate of 0.339824, 1.6 cents higher than last year, saying the change would raise an estimated $46.64 on an average-valued home of $282,731 if approved at that rate. The judge told the court the county has relied on reserves and repeated “no new revenue” tax rates since 2020 and that population and inflation pressures have tightened the budget.

The judge said Hunt County grew rapidly in the last decade and cited a decade increase of 13,827 people (about 16.1%) and a 2020 population of 99,956, and reported a 2024 population estimate mentioned in the meeting that the speaker characterized as an 18.8% increase. “This year is a proposed tax rate of 0.339824, which is 1.6¢ more than last year,” the judge said. He described the county’s primary spending areas — road and bridge maintenance; law enforcement, prosecution…