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Coryell County continues FY2026 budget review; amended proposal would set tax rate near 47.52¢
Summary
Commissioners reviewed line-by-line amendments to the FY2026 budget that reduce some expenditures and add projected revenues; staff said the amended budget would be supported by a proposed tax rate near 47.52¢ per $100 valuation and scheduled public hearings for Sept. 23.
County staff and elected commissioners spent the session working through proposed changes to the Coryell County FY2026 budget, presenting a package of line-item reductions and revenue adjustments that staff said would leave the county with a projected general-fund reserve near 22.7 percent.
Unidentified Budget Presenter (Speaker 2), who led the review, told the court the amended draft incorporates cuts the commissioners requested and adds expected revenues, including a projected property sale “that should close in the coming fiscal year,” plus a $50,000 transfer from the pretrial diversion fund and $100,000 from the capital improvement fund. He said those changes and other reductions produced a working tax rate of about 47.5¢ per $100 of valuation — roughly 2.676¢ higher than last year’s adopted rate but several cents below earlier proposals.
Why it matters: the court’s adjustments aim to balance competing demands — preserving reserves while limiting service cuts. Staff said the FY2026 general-fund year-end reserve would be about $5,633,971.12 (22.712 percent), and that the M&O deficit built into the draft was approximately $319,960.88 once programmed-but-unspent items are considered.
The review covered dozens of departmental changes: removal of the county judge’s auto allowance; reductions to travel and training across commissioners, the county clerk, county court-at-law and district offices; higher allocations for workers’ compensation and liability/property insurance; and multiple smaller cuts in miscellaneous and equipment lines. Staff also briefed the court on Road & Bridge reimbursements tied to FEMA DR-4781 projects that are in CRC review and could yield roughly $900,000 if approved.
Commissioners and members of the public raised several policy questions during the review. Speakers pressed whether fee-generated funds (records-management fees) should remain dedicated to the offices that generate them or be used more broadly to lower the tax rate; staff cautioned that those fees are governed by state rules. Commissioners also discussed the scale and timing of capital and maintenance costs, including how one-time investments affect reserves.
Next steps: staff said the amended budget document would be posted on the county website and that public hearings on the budget and tax rate are scheduled for Sept. 23 at the regularly scheduled meeting. No final vote on the budget or tax rate occurred at this session; item 6 was continued for action at the scheduled hearing.
The court recessed for an executive session later in the agenda and reconvened without taking action on a separate appointment item, concluding the day’s business.
