Bexar County presents $2.8 billion draft budget, proposes holding tax rate at 29¢; details policing, jail and flood investments

Bexar County Commissioners Court on Aug. 12 heard a detailed presentation of the county's proposed fiscal year 2025'26 budget and the office of the tax assessor-collector's calculations of several tax-rate options, while voting to adopt a temporary restriction on outdoor burning and to retain outside counsel for an administrative matter before the Texas Supreme Court.

County Judge Sakai opened the meeting by emphasizing the county's approach to the budget and saying he remained "committed to not raising property taxes." Albert Gurdeste, the county's tax assessor-collector, and Tanya Gaethon, budget and finance director, gave the figures and budget proposals used to frame the court's decisions and upcoming work sessions.

The nut of the presentation: the county's certified taxable value for 2025 is $245.5 billion, a $5.5 billion (about 2.3%) increase from last year driven mainly by new construction. Gaethon told the court the draft all-funds budget is $2.8 billion, and the proposed general fund budget is about $1.0 billion. She recommended maintaining the current combined property tax rate at 29.0000 cents per $100 of value, a rate the finance staff said is below both the state-calculated 2025 no-new-revenue tax rate (about 30.6953 cents per $100) and the statutory voter-approval threshold tied to a 3.5% increase.

"The no-new-revenue calculation excludes new construction," County Manager David Smith said during questions, noting that keeping the rate the same would, on existing taxable values, collect roughly $9 million less than last year and thus constitute an effective tax cut on those existing values. Gaethon and Gurdeste explained that the certified value increase is concentrated in new properties and that existing values have decreased by about $1.3 billion.

How the money would be spent: Gaethon and staff outlined recommended…