Kaufman County commissioners accept proposed FY 2025–26 budget, set public hearings and approve routine fiscal and land-use items

Kaufman County Commissioner’s Court on Aug. 5 accepted a proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget, scheduled public hearings on the budget and the county tax rate for Aug. 26, and approved a package of routine fiscal, contract and land‑use items.

The court — meeting at the county annex in Kaufman — accepted the proposed budget as presented and set an Aug. 26 public hearing to consider final adoption of the FY 2025–26 budget and the corresponding tax rate after the hearing. The presiding official said the proposed budget is balanced and the county is not raising the tax rate in the proposal, and that the county had absorbed an increase in employee health insurance and included a cost‑of‑living adjustment for employees.

The court also approved two interlocal agreements related to public improvement districts and accepted the treasurer’s and tax assessor’s monthly collection reports for June. Treasurer Teresa Floyd reported June current collections of roughly $501,870 and delinquent collections of about $103,007 for a combined total of about $605,006; unpaid deferrals were reported at about $125,008. For road and bridge the treasurer reported roughly $121,003 in current collections and about $23,009 in delinquent collections, with total road and bridge collections reported at about $145,304.

County staff presented a final plat for “Ruby Acres,” an approximately 8‑acre property in Precinct 1 to be split into four roughly 2‑acre lots; planning staff reported that required conditions — payment for water connections and approved driveway spacing off FM 1836 — had been met and the court approved the plat.

The court approved routine line‑item transfers and claims for payment. The accounts‑payable total for the week was $748,969.78 (mostly road bond expenditures and road materials); juror checks totaled $4,420; payroll totaled $2,069,414.16, for a total payout the court recorded at $2,822,803.94. The court set Aug. 20 as the cutoff date for capital expenditure purchases to be processed by accounts payable for this fiscal cycle.

Votes at a glance - Approval of the consent agenda (minutes and award acknowledgment): motion by Mister Phillips; second by Mister Crow; outcome: approved (court voice vote). - Interlocal agreements for Arbor Public Improvement District and Kaufman Public Improvement District No. 3: motion by Mister Moore; second by Mister Blaine; outcome: approved (court voice vote). - Acceptance of treasurer’s monthly collections report (June): motion by Commissioner Crowell; second by Commissioner Phillips; outcome: approved (court voice vote). - Acceptance of tax assessor/collector’s monthly auto collection report (June): motion by Mister Phillips; second by Mister Moore; outcome: approved (court voice vote). - Final plat — Ruby Acres (Precinct 1): motion by Mister Crow; second by Mister Phillips; outcome: approved (court voice vote). - Acceptance of proposed FY 2025–26 budget (proposed, not final adoption): motion by Mister Moore; second by Mister Moore (record shows a second); outcome: motion approved (court voice vote). - Set public hearing for proposed FY 2025–26 budget and tax rate (08/26/2025): motions by Mister Lane (budget hearing) and Mister Phillips (tax rate hearing); seconds by Mister Crow and Mister Moore respectively; outcomes: hearings set (court voice votes). - Line‑item transfers: motion by Mister Refills; second by Commissioner Perra; outcome: approved (court voice vote). - Claims and weekly payouts ($2,822,803.94 total): motion by Commissioner Moore; second by Mister Blaine; outcome: approved (court voice vote).

Context and next steps The court’s acceptance of a proposed budget begins the statutorily required process that includes public notice and hearings before final adoption. The Aug. 26 hearing will provide the public an opportunity to comment before the court votes on final adoption and the tax rate. Several departments, including the sheriff’s office and elections, were noted in discussion as taking reductions to help balance the budget and to avoid a tax‑rate increase.

The Ruby Acres plat approval clears subdivision requirements reported as outstanding and allows the property owner to proceed with the four‑lot division as recorded. The interlocal agreements approved allow the county to continue providing specified services for two public improvement districts; the contracts were described in the meeting packet as standard and “same price, same everything.”

Reported numbers above reflect figures given in the meeting packet and on the record; where transcript audio was unclear about decimals, the article uses the treasurer’s rounded figures as stated at the meeting.