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Newton County court adopts 2025 budget, ratifies higher property-tax revenue and sets tax rate
Summary
Newton County commissioners voted to adopt the 2025 budget and ratify a property-tax revenue increase of $564,583 (about 5.75%), and they approved a de minimis tax rate read in the meeting packet. The court also approved elected-official salary corrections and several procurement awards.
Newton County Commissioners Court adopted the county's proposed fiscal 2025 budget after a public hearing and a recorded vote, the presiding officer said.
The court heard a staff presentation on the budget, which the presenter described as showing total county revenues at roughly $9.52 million and expenditures near $9.49 million. Staff noted the packet handout omitted part-time and temporary salary lines that will be added in the final budget documents. The packet also included a county contribution of $3,545 toward the district attorney's county-paid portion of salary, with the remainder of the DA's salary funded by the state, a court member clarified.
County staff explained the packet included earmarks such as a proposed allocation for a new radio tower after the existing Sine River Authority tower in Duville was condemned. "We're proposing to build a 250,000 radio tower so South County deputy and fire departments can reach," the presenter said, describing the communications shortfall in the southern part of the county.
After closing the public hearing, the court took votes on related matters. Commissioners approved a motion to set 2025 salaries for elected officials with the correction for the district attorney's county-paid portion. The court then moved to adopt the full 2025 budget presented at the meeting and conducted a recorded vote; the budget was adopted.
The court discussed and ratified the increase in property-tax revenue reflected in the budget, which staff said would raise about $564,583 more than last year's budget (a reported 5.75% increase). The presiding officer read the proposed tax-rate item aloud as the "Minimus rate" and read the figure in the packet as "7926 for $100 value." The court conducted a recorded vote to adopt that tax rate; several commissioners voted in favor and at least one voted against on the record.
The county also approved payment of listed bills and budget amendments during the same meeting. The court approved routine procurement awards for annual Road & Bridge and fuel supplies and recorded the corresponding motions as carried.
The court did not take public-comment action that altered the budget before adoption; commissioners requested clarifications on several salary lines and the final budget documents will reflect the corrected part-time and elected-officials' pay information.
The court's next procedural step is to finalize budget documents with the corrected salary entries and to implement awarded procurement contracts and the approved tax rate.
