Hays County plans to spend around $371 million in fiscal year 2017-18 after commissioners approved the budget and tax rate Sept. 19.
FY 2017-18, which begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2018, comes with a $0.445 per $100 assessed value property tax rate, which is 2 cents lower than FY 2016-17's tax rate.
The budget is nearly double what the county spent last year because of voter-approved bonds, including $100 million for public safety facilities, $25 million for road improvement bonds and the final issue of pass-through road bond funds of $38 million.
The new tax rate will yield $4.5 million in property taxes, $3.31 million of which is from new property added to the county this year.
The budget also includes:
- $2.9 million for 43 new full-time positions and personnel changes;
- $1 million for radio communications infrastructure;
- $1 million for flood-mitigation projects;
- $850,000 for emergency services and law-enforcement technology;
- $500,000 for jail improvements and repairs
Prior to the vote, Commissioner Will Conley said the county was in "one of the strongest financial positions in this entire area".
More information on the budget can be found the county's
website.
