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Proposed Maverick County budget lowers proposed tax rate; public hearing closes
Summary
At a public hearing Sept. 9, Judge Ramsey Espanto presented a proposed FY2024–25 budget with a proposed tax rate of 0.394529 (down from 0.412198). The court discussed a roughly $29.9 million preliminary budget, department reviews, employee longevity pay, and scheduling follow-ups before final action.
Judge Ramsey Espanto opened a public hearing on Sept. 9 to review Maverick County's proposed budget for fiscal year 2024–25 and outlined the Administration’s preliminary numbers.
Espanto said the budget as presented is based on a proposed tax rate of 0.394529, down from last year’s 0.412198. He described the maintenance-and-operations portion (presented in the package) and an interest-and-sinking (debt) component; the judge noted the county has debt payments coming off the books that create capacity for new borrowing. The preliminary total budget figure presented to the court was $29,886,879, with possible HFC proceeds under consideration (approximately $2.1 million noted as a provisional offset).
Espanto also described personnel considerations under review, including a proposed longevity-pay program and possible salary adjustments for certain county offices; the court discussed scheduling follow-up meetings with department heads and elected officials to refine numbers before the Sept. 26 deadline.
Public comment: Members of the public and at least one commissioner asked about line items such as funding for the third international bridge; staff committed to distributing the finalized proposal to elected officials and to follow-up meetings.
Budget specifics and caveats: the judge cited an expected county debt-payment figure in the range of about $3.57 million for the next fiscal year (the transcript's phrase for that line item was unclear; reported here as an approximate figure based on statements made during the hearing). The auditor's office and department heads will finalize figures before the court's next meeting.
Next steps: The court closed the public hearing at 5:31 p.m., directed staff to provide copies of the finalized budget proposals to commissioners, and scheduled department-level meetings for final review prior to the Sept. 26 session.
Direct quote: "This budget... is set with a rate of consideration of 0.394529," Judge Espanto said during his presentation.
Why it matters: The proposed tax-rate reduction and the composition of the county budget affect county services, public safety funding, and staffing levels as the court proceeds to finalize the FY2024–25 budget.
