On Aug. 26 the Williamson County Commissioners Court adopted a $243 million budget, which includes both salary increases and additional personnel.

The budget included 42 new positions as well as a four percent merit pay increase for justices of the peace, the county clerk, the tax assessor and the district clerk.

Some commissioners were concerned about the increases.

Last year we said we were going to raise salaries; this year we said we were going to add people, Precinct 1 Commissioner Lisa Birkman said. In this budget were doing both, and I think were spending too much money.

The budget for the 201415 fiscal year goes into effect Oct. 1 and is $7 million more than the previous budget.

The total budget includes the $146. 78 million general fund, $22.32 million road and bridge fund and $74.56 million debt services fund.

During preliminary budget discussions commissioners said added personnel would be a large contributing factor to the overall budget increase.

During discussions, County Budget Officer Ashlie Koenig said her department received 139 requests for positions for the 201415 fiscal year, compared to the 80 requested positions in 201314. Those included both new positions as well as transitioning part-time positions to full-time.

The budget office recommended 25 of those positions totaling $1.5 million, and commissioners then added 18 positions for an additional $900,000. The increase worried Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey, she said.

Thats several million dollars that I would suggest we use perhaps in a different way, Covey said.

Commissioners approved 42 of the proposed 43 positions.

Covey proposed lowering the budget and tax rate by reducing the four percent merit increase to three percent in both the general fund and road and bridge fund.The motion, however, failed with a 2-3 vote.

The proposed tax rate of $0.489029 per $100 of property valuation is expected to be considered at the Commissioners Court's Sept. 2 meeting.

The proposed rate is the same as the current rate.

This year the budget will begin with a remaining balance of $71.4 million in general fund cash reserves.

Commissioners will spend $5 million from the cash ending on capital improvements. Those projects will be determined at future Commissioners Court meetings.