Callahan County adopts 2023 budget, lowers combined tax rate

Callahan County Commissioners Court adopted the county’s 2023 budget and set the elected-official salary schedule during its Aug. 25 regular meeting, and the court voted to set a combined property tax rate of 52.9005 cents per $100 valuation.
The court approved the elected-official salaries after a motion by Commissioner Farmer and a second from Commissioner Windham. The court then adopted the budget on a recorded precinct-by-precinct vote and later set the tax rate at 36 cents per $100 for the general fund maintenance and operations, 3.5005 cents per $100 for interest and sinking, and 13.4 cents per $100 for road and bridge for a combined rate of 52.9005 cents per $100 valuation. Precinct votes and the county judge’s vote were recorded as yes, making the measures unanimous.
County officials told the court the tax rate is lower than last year; the court characterized the change as a reduction compared with the previous year’s rate. The court also completed the administrative step to ratify the property tax increase reflected in the budget; that motion was made by Commissioner Clark and seconded by Commissioner Windham and approved unanimously.
The budget adoption followed a public hearing and prior budget workshops described by staff as having produced no changes needing further action at the Aug. 25 session.
Details on the published salary adjustments and the budget document were presented as materials the public can review; staff said three elected-official salary lines changed and will be republished in the newspaper to reflect corrected entries noted after the public workshop.
No public comment on the budget was recorded during the meeting. The court carried out the fiscal votes during the regular session and recorded the results as required.