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Denton County adopts multiple FY2026 budget actions and proposes tax rate; mixed approval on appeals and tech requests
Summary
Denton County Commissioners Court on Aug. 19 approved multiple FY2026 budget actions — including a 6% pay-scale adjustment, approval of 31 recommended new positions, several departmental funding reallocations, and a proposed property tax rate of $0.185938 per $100 of valuation — while taking several departmental appeals under further review.
Denton County Commissioners Court took a series of votes Aug. 19 to finalize multiple actions tied to the FY2026 recommended budget and to propose a property tax rate for tax year 2025.
The court approved a countywide 6% increase to the pay structure minimums and maximums, applied across pay scales including probationary employees, appointed and elected officials, and court reporters. The court also approved salary-setting for two judicial positions (associate judge at $166,204 and criminal juvenile magistrate at $171,750) consistent with the 6% adjustment and approved a suite of salary revisions, reclassifications and market adjustments listed in the recommended budget. Separately, the court approved the list of new positions included in the recommended budget (31 full-time, 1 part-time) and several associated personnel reports: transferred slots, deleted slots, temporary/expired slots, and grant-funded slots absorbed into the county budget.
On discrete line items earlier in the agenda the court approved administrative reallocations and additional funding requests: a reallocation in Public Health Clinical that yielded an approximate $53,000 cost savings; an additional $28,540 to the guardianship services contract approved last week; and an additional $28,058 to cover fleet liability insurance based on a renewal notice from the county’s insurance provider (TAC).
The court heard several departmental appeals and requests during the budget workshop:
- Justice of the Peace (JP) appeal: Judge Oliver (representing the JPs) asked the court to restore funding for a process-builder configuration in Odyssey that the JP offices say technology services requires to meet legal reporting milestones. The JPs requested a one-time strategic allocation of $17,760 to purchase a process-builder/professional services item; the budget office asked the JPs to coordinate data and justification with Technology Services before the court would finalize approval. The court did not approve the request at the meeting but signaled willingness to consider it after the JP offices supply additional data to the budget office and technology services.
- AgriLife (County Extension) appeal: AgriLife sought $8,000 for a training and education line item the budget office had recommended to zero; the court voted to restore $4,000 of that request (motion carried unanimously) and advised the department to document travel and training with requisitions and reimbursements.
- District clerk appeals: The district clerk asked for two deputy clerk 3 positions and for funding for an AI automated document solution (a vendor solution discussed as roughly $440,000 in one department conversation). The court approved the two deputy clerk positions but took the AI proposal under further consideration; commissioners said they wanted more detailed metrics, cost-benefit data, and cross-departmental discussion before committing to a countywide AI purchase. The transcript records debate about whether AI would replace or reduce future hiring; commissioners emphasized they would not use automation as an immediate grounds for involuntary layoffs and that any staffing changes would rely on attrition if implemented.
- Tax assessor appeal: The court approved two deputy clerk 2 positions requested by the tax assessor.
Other personnel actions: the court approved an increase in part-time hours for two felony intake attorney slots in the district attorney’s office from 20 to 25 hours due to increased workload caused by population growth.
To fund the approved items the court reduced the non-departmental unappropriated contingency by $293,498 and directed county staff to implement the approved changes. The court recorded that some contingency-funded requests (for example, emergency management appeals referenced earlier) were withdrawn or would be absorbed by departmental line items where possible.
On taxes, the court voted unanimously to propose a property tax rate of $0.185938 per $100 of valuation for tax year 2025 (fiscal year 2026). The staff noted that this proposed rate is 3.891649% above the “no new revenue” rate; the action moves the county into the public-notice phase required before final adoption.
Several commissioners and staff thanked department leaders and the budget office for their work through an iterative process; numerous appeals were deferred for additional documentation. The court emphasized that some requests not granted immediately may be reconsidered later in the fiscal year.
