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Starr County sets Sept. 17 hearing on proposed tax rate; commissioners back 3% pay increase with $1,200–$2,400 floor/ceiling
Summary
Starr County commissioners scheduled a Sept. 17 public hearing on a proposed property tax rate that would lower the county rate and discussed a recommended 3% across‑the‑board pay increase for staff with a $1,200 minimum and $2,400 cap.
Starr County Commissioners Court on Sept. 9 voted to set a public hearing for Sept. 17 on a proposed property tax rate that officials said would slightly lower the county’s rate while preserving revenue growth from new value in the county.
Judge (presiding official) outlined both a payroll recommendation and the tax proposal, saying the court proposes "we give a 3% raise across the board to everyone, with a floor of $1,200 and a ceiling of $2,400." He said the ceiling is intended "so that we can keep the gap between the higher making salaries and the lower" from widening.
The judge also described the tax-rate proposal in numbers: last year’s combined county rate was presented as 0.7204 per $100 of assessed value; the proposed combined rate is 0.7107 per $100, which the judge characterized as effectively lowering the county portion of the property-tax rate by roughly a penny per $100 of valuation. He said the county’s increased revenue reflects new value from development and business growth rather than higher tax burdens on existing property owners.
Commissioners clarified that the hearing is a required public step before any final approval. The court voted to place the proposed rate on the Sept. 17 agenda; if adopted after the hearing, the rate and associated budget would become official. No final adoption was taken at the Sept. 9 meeting.
What’s next: a public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17 where residents may comment before the commissioners vote on final adoption of the tax rate and the related budget.
