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Scurry County budget workshop covers tax-rate scenarios, reserves and EMS pay-bracket changes
Summary
Commissioners reviewed tax-rate options and emergency-reserve targets, certified accounts payable, and discussed EMS proposals to adjust salary brackets (10–15%) and add an education coordinator; staff provided cost scenarios to incorporate into the 2025 budget.
County finance staff walked commissioners through budget scenarios including the no-new-revenue tax rate (0.5074) and the voter-approval rate (0.5796). The court discussed several reserve targets; staff recommended options ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million for emergency reserves and noted how those figures would affect the proposed tax rate.
During departmental reviews, the emergency medical services director presented a salary survey and recommended adjusting pay brackets (proposed increases of 10%–15% on bracket ranges) and funding an education coordinator to support local EMT/paramedic training. The EMS director said bracket adjustments were intended to make local pay competitive with neighboring services and to reduce turnover. He presented three budget scenarios: a 10% bracket adjustment, a 15% bracket adjustment, and a scenario adding the education coordinator; the court was given rough cost estimates: adding a 15% bracket adjustment plus an education coordinator would add roughly $257,000 to the county budget, while a 10% bracket adjustment would be lower.
Commissioners discussed whether bracket adjustments would automatically raise incumbent salaries, how fringe and retirement costs would add to base salary changes, and the practicality of training local candidates. The court instructed staff to model the EMS scenarios within the overall budget, noting the county’s timeline for adopting a final tax rate and budget in coming weeks.
The court also certified accounts payable of about $1.66 million and approved multiple routine budget amendments and capital-outlay requests during the session.
