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Ellis County staff outlines FY2026 budget outlook; proposed budget to be posted Aug. 11
Summary
County staff summarized revenue projections, allocations, and pressures for FY2026; the proposed budget will be posted Aug. 11 for public review. Officials said the county remains in a multi-year capital spending phase that is drawing down Permanent Improvement Fund reserves.
Ellis County staff presented an update on the fiscal year 2026 budget outlook, outlining projected tax revenues, fund allocations and the near-term timeline for a proposed budget posting.
Ryan Garrett provided figures based on the 2024 tax roll and collection assumptions. The adopted 2024 tax rate that funded FY2025 is 0.273992 per $100 of valuation. Under a no-new-revenue rate for the next year the staff projected collection at roughly $83.2 million for maintenance and operations (M&O), with an I&S (debt service) projection of about $3.3 million and Farm-to-Market (FM) lateral road revenue estimated at $6.3 million. The presentation emphasized conservative collection assumptions (budgeted at 99% collection). The staff also presented the voter-approval rate (VAR) scenario.
Ryan Garrett said the county shifted significant prior reserves from the Permanent Improvement Fund to fund needed capital projects, and that the reserve balance has declined; the proposed FY2026 budget will reflect careful balancing of revenues and requests. He told commissioners that a proposed budget will be posted on Monday, Aug. 11 for public review on the county website and in physical form at the county clerk’s office.
Garrett and commissioners discussed inmate medical costs and recent operational changes: the inmate medical budget for the current year was $6 million but year-to-date costs are lower (reported approx. $4.8 million), and the county has split behavioral health services from non-mental inmate medical care, with North Texas Behavioral Health Authority handling behavioral health and YesCare managing non-mental inmate medical matters. Officials said the reorganization and software tools used in indigent health management have helped reduce costs.
Commissioners asked comparative questions about Ellis County’s tax rate relative to other counties; staff said Ellis County is among the lower property tax rates statewide (reported as the 16th lowest among Texas counties) while noting differences in overlapping district taxes (for example, hospital districts) can change comparisons.
This item was presented as discussion only; no vote was required.
Ending: Staff asked the public and commissioners to review the proposed budget when posted on Aug. 11. Further hearings and budget adoption will follow the county’s published timeline.
