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Henderson County commissioners debate tax rate, budget shortfalls and judge's donated-salary plan
Summary
At a lengthy budget workshop, Henderson County commissioners discussed changes to meeting-posting rules, approved budget amendments, and wrestled with whether to use unused tax-rate increment to reduce the county's retirement deficit. Debate intensified over a judge's plan to direct part of his general-fund salary to staff, prompting calls for rescission and review under an AG advisory.
Henderson County's commissioners spent much of their Aug. 6 workshop weighing how to close a growing budget shortfall while responding to new state rules and local staffing needs.
The court opened with routine business and quickly moved into budget issues after approving a consent agenda and appointing Commissioner Wilbanks to the East Texas Council of Governments board. Staff and elected officials then worked through department budgets, proposed salary adjustments and options for addressing what the county finance presentation described as a multi-million-dollar gap tied in part to pension liabilities.
Judge (chair) told the court that changes to the Texas Open Meetings Act require meeting notices at least three business days before a meeting and asked staff to adopt a posting policy that sets an 11 a.m. Tuesday deadline for agenda items when meetings fall the following week. The court approved that policy.
Most of the day, however, centered on the 2026 proposed budget and how to reduce a…
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