Anderson County judge outlines proposed 2026 budget, $0.015 tax‑rate increase and $500,000 retirement payment

Anderson County Judge Wade McKinney presented the county's proposed 2026 budget and the proposed 2025 tax rate at the county court meeting, saying the plan balances growing expenditures while addressing a long‑running retirement fund shortfall. McKinney said the proposed budget leaves an estimated $1.9 million in the general fund and includes a $500,000 lump‑sum payment to the county retirement system (TCDRS) in calendar year 2026 to help reduce a multi‑year deficit.

Why it matters: The county is facing multiple budget pressures — rising court‑appointed attorney costs, jail medical and food contracts, increases in health‑insurance premiums and growing IT storage needs — and property tax revenue remains the primary funding source (about 63% of the county's revenue). McKinney framed the $500,000 retirement payment and a modest tax‑rate change as steps to stabilize long‑term liabilities without excessive immediate rate shocks to residents.

Key facts and numbers: McKinney said the county's certified taxable value is about $4.64 billion; each one‑cent change in the tax rate generates about $425,000. The court's proposed structure keeps the retirement contribution rate effectively at about 13.11% and builds a half‑million dollar payment into the proposed budget; according to McKinney, that plug lowers a modeled…