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Wilson County adopts 2024-25 budget and approves a small rise in 2024 property tax rate
Summary
Commissioners adopted the county—udget for fiscal 2024-25 and voted to set the 2024 property tax rate at 0.414748, a 0.001615 increase from 2023. The court also approved a county minimum starting wage increase included in the budget and ratified the tax levy rise required by state procedure.
Wilson County commissioners adopted the fiscal 2024-25 budget and approved a modest increase to the 2024 property tax rate during their morning court session.
A county official read the public hearing notice explaining that the county—urrent total tax rate is 0.413133 and the proposed total rate for 2024 is 0.414748, a difference of 0.001615. The notice said the average homestead taxable value rose from about $270,015 in 2023 to $301,368 in 2024 (an 11.61% increase), and estimated the tax on an average homestead would rise from $1,116 to $1,250, an increase of about $134.
After the hearing, the court moved through a series of budget-related actions. The final adjusted budget presented to the court included two changes from the earlier draft: adding $9,000 for La Vernia Library rent (covered by a transfer from the library—und balance) and adding $5,390 for emergency management public-notification software by reducing the non-departmental reserve. Commissioners voted to adopt the 2024-25 budget as presented.
Commissioner King moved to set the total 2024 tax rate at 0.414748, saying, "I move that the property tax rate be increased by adoption of the tax rate of 0.414748," and noted the split as a maintenance-and-operations (M&O) rate of 0.404355 and an interest-and-sinking (I&S) debt rate of 0.010393. The motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote.
Under the budget the county reported total property-tax levy increased from $21,257,134 in 2023 to $23,176,233 in 2024 (an increase of $1,919,099), of which $904,029.20 was attributed to new property added to the tax roll. The auditor told the court these calculations were prepared per the cited state statute referenced in the meeting materials.
The adopted budget also included a proposal to raise the county minimum starting wage from $17.24 to $18.93 per hour (a $1.69 increase) for employees and officials; the court voted to set salaries and allowances "as presented."
The court ratified the property tax increase in a separate motion consistent with state procedural requirements and closed the tax-rate items after voting.
The most immediate next steps noted by court staff were publishing the required notices and moving forward with the September 23 public hearing related to an unrelated PACE resolution (see separate item).
