Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tax Rate And Budget Process topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners set voter-approved rate, schedule September hearings on budget and tax rate
Summary
After debate the court voted to use the voter-approved tax rate for FY2026 and scheduled public hearings for Sept. 9, 2025, on the proposed tax rate and the FY2026 budget; an initial lower proposed rate failed on a 3-2 vote.
Rockwall County Commissioners took formal votes on the proposed 2025 tax rate and on calendar items required for the FY2026 budget process during a special meeting Aug. 14.
Commissioner debate focused on whether to publish a lower proposed rate (0.2498 per $100) or to publish the voter-approved rate and keep options for adjustments during the public-review process. A motion to set a proposed rate of 0.2498 failed 3-2. The court then voted 3-2 to set the proposed tax rate at the voter-approved rate of 0.252113 per $100 of valuation.
The court also directed the auditor to publish statutory notices and scheduled two public hearings for Sept. 9, 2025, at 9 a.m.: one on the proposed 2025 county tax rate and one to approve the FY2026 annual budget. Both publication and hearing motions passed 5-0.
Motions and votes (selected): - Motion to set tax rate at 0.2498 per $100 (failed 3-2). - Motion to set proposed tax rate at the voter-approved rate 0.252113 per $100 (approved 3-2). - Motion to schedule public hearing on proposed tax rate on Sept. 9, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. (approved 5-0). - Motion to schedule public hearing to approve FY2026 annual budget on Sept. 9, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. (approved 5-0).
Why it matters: The proposed rate the court publishes triggers required public-notice language and determines whether the budget-setting process requires additional public steps; using the voter-approved rate is a standard procedure that preserves the court's ability to lower the adopted rate later.
What's next: The auditor was directed to run the required newspaper notices and the statutory letters to elected officials; the court will revisit the second draft of the budget and formal adoption at the Sept. 9 hearing.
