Ellis County adopts FY2026 budget and maintains property tax rate at 0.273992

Ellis County Commissioners Court on Sept. 16 adopted the fiscal year 2026 budget and approved a property tax rate of 0.273992, keeping the county’s total tax rate unchanged from the prior year.

The court voted unanimously to adopt a $199,200,000 (approx.) total county budget and to set the tax year 2025 property tax rate at 0.273992. Chief of Staff Ryan Garrett presented the budget update and summarized revenue and allocation changes; Garrett noted the proposed total rate and said the proposed rate “is 0.273992.”

The adopted budget increases total property tax revenue over the prior year by $7,387,266 (7.88%). Garrett told the court $4,349,628 of that increase is attributable to new property added to the tax roll. The general fund allocation in the adopted budget is roughly 78.9% (about $71.2 million). Garrett said the county projects a 99% collection rate for tax calculations and outlined an anticipated unspent general-fund balance and required 90-day reserve.

During two public hearings tied to the budget and the proposed tax rate, speakers from the Pet Coalition of Ellis County asked the court to dedicate more resources to animal-shelter capacity, a county-wide animal-control coalition, and to continue funding spay/neuter clinics. Pet Coalition representative Sheila Hood described “daily suffering” among loose and abandoned animals and urged hiring a consultant to assess shelter needs; board member Matthew Craig asked that contract-service funds and animal-control line items be used to support further study and operations. The court asked county staff and the service provider to share invoice and service-count data openly so commissioners can evaluate outcomes and future funding.

After the public hearings closed, the court took a recorded vote to adopt the budget and then a recorded vote to adopt the tax rate. The tax-rate breakdown approved by the court was: maintenance & operations (M&O) 0.246737; interest & sinking (I&S) 0.009041; farm-to-market (FM) 0.018214 for a total of 0.273992.

County officials emphasized the budget includes several personnel changes funded by grants and state reimbursements, including veterans treatment court positions to be fully reimbursed by grant funds and district attorney positions paid from SB 22 state funds. The court also discussed a timing and accounting correction tied to the JP 2 building construction, which Garrett characterized as a budgeting error in prior-year allocations that contributed to permanent-improvement account pressures; he said the county’s reserve policy still meets the required 90-day operating reserve.

The court closed both hearings and adopted the budget and tax rate by unanimous vote. Commissioners also noted they will cancel a previously posted extra September meeting now that the budget and tax rate are adopted.

Votes at a glance - Adopt FY2026 budget: motion passed, unanimous recorded vote (Judge Ray: yes; Commissioner Stinson: yes; Commissioner Grayson: yes; Commissioner Ponder: yes; Commissioner Butler: yes). - Adopt tax year 2025 property tax rate (total 0.273992 composed of M&O 0.246737; I&S 0.009041; FM 0.018214): motion passed, unanimous recorded vote (same voting record).