County auditor presents March interim financial report; commissioners accept overview

Barbara Parker, El Paso County Auditor, presented the interim financial report for the month ended March 2025 and the Commissioner's Court voted to accept the presentation under Texas Local Government Code provisions.

Parker said the general fund collected roughly $16.2 million during March; year-to-date property tax collections were approximately $9.3 million higher than the same period in the prior fiscal year. Through March the general fund had collected 79.1% of its budgeted revenue, excluding an $83 million fund-balance reserve set aside earlier. Revenue increases were concentrated in property taxes, sales and use taxes, and fines and forfeitures; declines were noted in interest income and certain intergovernmental reimbursements (FEMA reimbursements received in the prior year) and charges for services related to federal prisoner bed counts.

On expenditures, the general fund recorded $31.0 million in March and a year-to-date total of $178.5 million. The percentage of budget expended was 39.4% (the fiscal year is 50% complete). Parker highlighted increases in personnel costs primarily driven by public safety and higher indigent defense and capital-murder costs in administration of justice; capital outlay and transfers out decreased largely due to timing differences and last year's unusual items.

The auditor's latest FY24-to-FY25 projections reflected a projected FY25 general fund balance of about $66.1 million after updated revenue and expenditure assumptions; the uncommitted fund balance equaled approximately 10.25% of the FY25 budget per the audit team's calculations. Parker cautioned the numbers could change as the audit closes and advised the court she would provide requested comparisons to prior years' collection rates upon request.

Nut graf: The report gave commissioners an update on revenues and expenditures through March and provided revised year-end projections that showed a modest reduction in revenue expectations compared with earlier estimates, but otherwise a fund-balance position the auditor characterized as within acceptable policy ranges.

The court accepted the interim financial report by motion from Judge Ricardo Samaniego and a second from Commissioner Coronado; the motion carried.

Ending: Auditor Parker invited follow-up questions and said the full condensed interim report is posted on the county intranet; the court accepted the report for the record.