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Bell County tax assessor reports $462,124.50 in FY24 child safety fees; Killeen receives largest share
Summary
Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector Shay Luedecke reported $462,124.50 in child safety fee collections for FY24 (10/1/2023–9/30/2024), listed municipal allocations and described permissible uses under state law; the county retained $112,592 for administration and unincorporated-area allocations.
Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector Shay Luedecke presented the court with FY24 figures for child safety fee collections on Dec. 9, reporting total allocations of $462,124.50 for fees collected from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024.
Shay said the $1.50 fee was applied to 308,083 vehicle registrations in FY24, about 1,963 fewer registrations than FY23. He explained some registrations — including disabled veterans and farm tags — are exempt from the fee. Shay cited Transportation Code section 502.403 to note the county may retain up to 10% for administration; on the record he stated the administration fee amounted to $46,212.45 and the county’s unincorporated-area allocation was $66,379.55, for a total county retention of $112,592.
Municipal allocations Shay listed for FY24 were: Killeen $171,771.68; Temple $92,082.93; Parker Heights $37,140.95; Belton $25,869.73; Nolan’s Mill $6,654.59; Morgan’s Point Resort $5,198.90; Salado $2,703.43; Troy $2,661.84; Little River Academy $2,245.93; Rogers $1,247.40; Holland $1,206.14; Barclays $748.64. Shay said the allocations are based on the 2020 census and noted municipalities generally will receive slightly less than the previous year.
Shay also cited Code of Criminal Procedure article 102.014(g) to summarize permitted municipal uses for funds: money must be used for crossing-guard programs where they exist, or for programs that enhance child safety, health, nutrition, child-abuse prevention and intervention, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, or public safety and security where crossing-guard programs are not in place. Shay said the program began in February 2001 and that total allocated through the program to date is $9,184,741.98; he noted the program is approaching $10 million in lifetime distributions.
Shay said he will present checks in several municipalities over the next two days and requested commissioners’ assistance for presentations in Harker Heights and Belton; some smaller allocations will be mailed to municipal offices.
