Aransas County adopts 2026 budget, rescinds $70,000 CVB hotel-motel allocation and sells $6 million tax notes to Huntington Bank

Aransas County Commissioners on Thursday approved the county’s 2026 budget, ratified the 2025 tax roll and levy, removed a $70,000 hotel-motel allocation to the City of Rockport’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and awarded $6 million in tax notes to Huntington Bank at 3.69%.

The court voted to adopt the budget after first passing an amendment to rescind the $70,000 hotel-motel allocation to the Rockport CVB by a 4–1 vote; Judge Garza voted no. The amended budget then passed unanimously. Commissioners also adopted the 2025 tax roll and levy and Resolution R‑34‑2025 setting the county’s tax rate as posted in that resolution.

Why it matters: The budget and the tax levy together determine the county’s operating priorities and the amount of county property tax bills. County staff presented a taxpayer impact statement showing how the proposals affect a median-valued home. Under the county’s presentation, a household at the median Aransas County appraisal district value of $276,890 would pay about $1,048.03 under the proposed budget and tax rate, compared with $1,024.50 at the current rate and $982.72 under a no-new-revenue rate. County staff said the proposed change represented an increase of roughly 23.51 cents from last year’s rate.

Public comment and CVB allocation: During the public hearing on the budget, an unnamed resident urged the court to remove $70,000 proposed from county hotel-motel tax revenues that had been allocated to the city’s new CVB department and suggested the funds instead be used to assist reconstruction of the Rockport aquarium. The court’s amendment to remove the allocation carried 4–1.

Tax notes sale: The court also authorized Order O‑14‑2025 and accepted county financial advisor RBC Capital Markets’ recommendation to award the sale of $6,000,000 in tax notes to Huntington Bank. Robert Henderson, managing director for RBC Capital Markets, told the court three bids arrived on time and that Huntington’s 3.69% bid was the most favorable after accounting for fees, expenses and the county’s desire for early-call flexibility. Henderson said Webster Bank’s close bid would not permit early redemption until 2029; Huntington’s structure permits early payoff with a premium.

“Aside from interest rates, the call provisions were the deciding factor,” Henderson said. He recommended awarding the bid to Huntington Bank “according to the terms presented.” The motion to award the bid to Huntington passed unanimously.

Other procedural notes: Anna Marshall, the county’s tax assessor-collector, reminded the court that tax bills would not be mailed until after the November school election to avoid conflicting bills being sent to taxpayers. County staff said the debt-service portion of the tax rate includes amounts needed for the 2025 tax note and no additional levy will be necessary beyond the rate adopted.

What comes next: With the budget and levy adopted and the tax notes awarded, the county will proceed with issuing the notes and processing the tax levy. County staff will finalize levy paperwork and prepare bills once the schedule for tax-bill mailings after the November election is in place.