Waller County judges and commissioners tell departments to cut FY2026 spending after review finds $6 million gap

At a Waller County Commissioners Court budget workshop, the County Judge told department heads the county must sharply reduce proposed new spending for fiscal year 2026 after staff requests totaled requests for 70 new positions and about $12 million in increased expense.

The Judge said county staff currently expect about $4 million in new revenue from new value plus roughly $2 million tied to a 3.5 percent revenue increase — "so a total we'll see about $6,000,000 in, in new revenue overall," he said. The Judge added that "insurance alone would be well over a million dollars in additional costs" if all requested positions were funded.

Why it matters: the gap between requests and projected revenue would force the court either to scale back department plans, use fund balance, or seek voter approval. The Judge warned that any budget that exceeds the 3.5 percent threshold would require voter approval in November and said certified appraisal values due from the appraisal district on July 25 will clarify the revenue picture.

Most important facts - Departments requested roughly 70 new positions and about $12 million in new…