Beyond core services like public safety and infrastructure, the budget also prioritizes justice and health, including $86 million for a future mental health jail diversion center and increased funding for Central Health’s behavioral and primary care services.
"I know it's a difficult year for our constituents ... with many jurisdictions needing to ask for an increase in order to make ends meet. I just want to assure the public that we have done a responsible job with this budget," Commissioner Ann Howard said.
The big picture
Travis County’s $2.2 billion FY 2025-26 budget, approved Sept. 30, jumps about 12% over last year’s budget.
The budget includes funding for a variety of county responsibilities, some state-mandated, such as:
- Essential administrative and operational costs
- Justice system
- Health and Human Services
- Community and economic development
- Corrections and rehabilitation
- Public safety
- Infrastructure
Travis County officials in late July proposed a measure to implement a one-year, 9% property tax increase to help cover costs from recent severe flooding.
The approved tax rate for the 2025-26 fiscal year is roughly 3 cents higher per $100 of property value, at $0.375845 per $100 valuation.
For the average homeowner—properties valued around $515,213—this means their county tax bill will go up by about $200, with around $72 of that tied to recovery costs from the July flooding disaster.
"It's a one-year increase, and I just appreciate the sacrifice that families are making in order to pay all their bills and to support the county this year," Howard said.
The county effectively zeroed out its $15 million emergency reserve funds to accommodate unexpected costs from the July flooding event, including debris removal and the construction of temporary road repairs.
Additionally, county staff dedicating over 35,000 in hours to flood response—an estimated $1.9 million cost to the county, according to a September update to county commissioners.
This current tax increase is a one-time disaster-related increase and will raise around $42 million set aside in a special emergency reserve, according to county documents.
"I think that's important for people to understand that we are trimming our budget. We are being extremely cautious and responsible about how we're using public dollars,” Commissioner Brigid Shea said Aug. 22. “I think it’s worth noting, for people to understand, how we're trimming things in order to accommodate the unexpected costs of the flood.”
Find more information here.
Jail diversion efforts
The county recently outlined an $86 million earmark in the FY 2025-26 budget intended for future jail diversion and preventative services.
The mental health diversion center, spearheaded by Judge Andy Brown, will be an alternative to jail for people who commit nonviolent crimes and suffer from mental illness or substance abuse disorder.
The county began operating a three-year pilot program in early 2024.
Project leaders are currently evaluating potential sites for a permanent facility and preparing to define the range of services the facility will provide, according to an update Aug. 19. Keep reading about the county’s diversion initiative here.
Health care for all
Alongside diversion services, commissioners approved a 9.3% tax rate increase for Central Health—the Travis County taxpayer-funded hospital district—for FY 2025-26 at $0.118023 per $100 valuation.
Travis County homeowners will see about another $64 added to their property tax bills to fund county health care services.
Dubbed the “year of access” by Central Health officials, the additional funding would expand and speed up health care options for low-income residents.
Central Health documents outlined several “patient-first” priorities for the coming year:
- Reduce appointment wait times to under two weeks
- Curb avoidable hospital readmissions and emergency room visits
- Expand health insurance coverage for more patients
- Close gaps in care
The biggest jump in spending is for primary care services, which would rise from about $74 million to just over $103 million, with most of that money going toward an expanded partnership with CommUnityCare Health Centers.
CommUnityCare largely handles primary care services, while Central Health has remained focused on expanding specialty care.
Another major increase is for behavioral health specialty care, which would grow from about $25.7 million to more than $40 million. That reflects additional funding for Integral Care, a mental and behavioral health services provider.
Finally, the budget also sets aside significant new funding for diagnostic services. Find more information about Central Health’s “year of access” here.
Other noteworthy highlights
The budget also makes noteworthy investments in the general justice system, which supports the new Counsel on First Appearance program, including more than $1.4 million for Public Defender’s Office staffing and attorney pay adjustments, along with $4.6 million for pretrial services, court staffing and technology upgrades to ensure defendants receive timely legal counsel at their first court appearance.
Commissioners also approved a series of salary adjustments for judges and elected officials in early September, which could help the CAFA program by attracting and retaining experienced courtroom staff and reducing turnover—something court employees and justice reform advocates have consistently highlighted to commissioners.
The outlook
County commissioners continue evaluating employee compensation.
Historically, the county officials aim to align salary increases for elected officials with those recommended for county employees.
While a 1% raise was approved for nonjudicial elected officials, the court has not yet finalized FY 2025-26 compensation decisions for county staff, pending the results of an ongoing market study. The study, which began in 2022, has drawn some criticism from commissioners for using methodologies they say are flawed.
Following budget markup discussions, the Human Resources Management Department was authorized to conduct additional analysis over the next 60 days.
A compensation proposal is expected to come before commissioners Oct. 28 for a final vote.
