Providing parkland, lowering the tax rate and improving courts services were among the budgetary considerations Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt named during her quarterly report at the Travis County administration building at 700 Lavaca on Tuesday. The court is still considering compelling requests for funding not included in the proposed fiscal year 2016-17 preliminary budget, Eckhardt said. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt delivers her quarterly report Aug. 23.[/caption] One request the court will consider is a piece of land identified by the community of Lakeway, which is looking to partner with Travis County to establish it as parkland with potential intramural ball fields, Eckhardt said. Additional funding will likely be considered for law enforcement as well with a new sheriff coming on board following the November election, she said. Other areas of interest for the county will include funding jails, examining incarceration and indigent fees, she said. “We will not increase the county’s portion of the tax bill for the average taxable homestead for the third consecutive year,” Eckhardt said, adding that during the budget mark-up process the Commissioners Court will seek ways to fund compelling requests while “holding the line” at the proposed property tax rate of 38.38 cents per $100 of valuation. “The actual affect on the average taxpayer has been nominal,” Eckhardt said, explaining that although the tax rate has decreased by more than 10 cents since 2013, the reduction has only amounted to about six dollars for the average taxable homestead over the past few years. The court unanimously voted at its Aug. 23 meeting to advertise that tax rate in local publications and call for public hearings on the tax rate and budget. Eckhardt said advertising that tax rate ahead of finalizing the budget will require the court to exercise discipline in its planning. Public hearings for the tax rate will be held Sept. 20 at 9 a.m. and Sept. 23 at 9 a.m. A hearing on the proposed FY 2017 budget is slated for Sept. 27 at 9 a.m.