Hidalgo County officials preview $344 million general-fund budget, plan $50 million in capital projects

Hidalgo County budget staff presented a proposed fiscal 2026 general-fund budget and capital plan at a commissioners court workshop, saying current revenues total about $344,000,000 and recommending use of portions of the county’s unassigned fund balance to balance the budget.

The presentation, delivered by budget department staff, said property-tax revenue was listed in the presentation as “3.00 3,000,000” (the amount was not specified clearly in the transcript), interest revenue at $5,000,000 and other fees at $35,000,000, yielding the $344,000,000 figure. Staff said the county has an unassigned year-end fund balance of just over $100,000,000, that $20,000,000 was previously set aside in 2025, and that the department is proposing to use $30,000,000 of unassigned fund balance for 2026.

Why it matters: the plan pairs near-term operating requests with a one-time capital push, while keeping the overall budget close to the adopted 2025 level. Presenters said the 2025 adopted budget totaled about $316,000,000 and that DBM (Department of Budget and Management) is proposing an operating increase of roughly $28,000,000 plus a $50,000,000 capital improvement program (CIP) funded from the general fund.

Key proposed changes and clarifications - Personnel: Departments initially requested 112 new positions (a raw request estimated at about $8,200,000). After job audits and vetting with human resources and commissioners, staff…