Williamson County presents recommended $375.6M budget; court proposes voter‑approval tax rate and schedules public hearing

Williamson County officials outlined a recommended fiscal 2025–26 budget of $375,600,000 and the county’s tax assessor‑collector presented benchmark tax rates before commissioners voted to propose a maximum tax rate at the voter‑approval level.

Ashley Holliday, the county budget presenter, told the commissioners the budget office’s recommended total is $375,600,000 — up about 3.9 percent, or roughly $14.4 million, from the current adopted total. “The requested budget for next year, which does not include compensation requests, is 391,500,000.0. Recommended budget by the budget office is 375,600,000.0,” Holliday said.

The recommendation includes a mix of carryovers, capital, equipment replacement and personnel changes: a $6.8 million carryover for ambulances, $310,000 carried for a chiller replacement not delivered by year end, $7 million for the county’s long‑range transportation plan, and $20 million for capital improvement projects to be prioritized in October. Holliday also listed targeted replacements and multi‑year equipment programs: $2.6 million for EMS cardiac monitor replacements, about $4 million for phase‑one radio replacements (201 handheld units and 243 in‑car radios),…