Montgomery County Commissioners Court adopted the fiscal year 2016-17 budget Sept. 6 after considering several proposed tweaks to the county tax rate and animal shelter budget over the previous six weeks.
The FY 2016-17 county budget is approximately $347 million.
The largest increases in the budget include approximately $8 million set aside for the capital improvement fund, which will give the county an opportunity to fund major projects without adding to its debt.
A tax cut was also factored in as part of the FY 2016-17 budget.
During the Aug. 23 Commissioners Court meeting, County Judge Craig Doyal proposed decreasing the property tax rate by a quarter of a cent. The money for the tax cut was to be allocated from a new capital improvement fund included in the FY 2016-17 budget.
“I hear every day that appraisals are out of line, which is the big hit people are taking,” Doyal said. “I think it’s a good move on our part to being able to reduce the burden on our taxpayers.”
However, Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack also came with a proposal during the Sept. 6 meeting to cut the tax rate by 1 cent down to a rate of 0.4667 per $100 valuation, which was approved by the court unanimously. The money for the tax cut will still come from the county’s new capital improvement fund.
Noack, who gave credit to Doyal for originally coming up with the idea, said he thought if the county was going to make a tax cut, it should make one that would be more impactful.
“When appraisals are going up as they have, it’s the homeowners taking it on the chin,” Noack said. “I believe a 1-cent tax reduction is measurable, it’s meaningful and it’s responsible.”
Since Montgomery County is over 80 percent unincorporated, Doyal said funding the sheriff’s department and major road projects is a challenge.
“We’ve heard the taxpayers say over and over, ‘Pay as you go,’” Doyal said. “In an effort to do that, we set aside this capital fund because we have had a lot of large projects that we can’t pay for out of a single budget.”
The budget also includes a funding increase for the road and bridge department, personnel—including seven new law enforcement positions—and an increase in debt service. Doyal said the catchup is ultimately more expensive than the keep-up.
“We’re not keeping up today, but we’re trying the best we can,” he said.
Animal shelter budget
County officials approved changes to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter Sept. 6.
Local residents and volunteers continue to address Commissioners Court regarding issues at the shelter, including concerns about its management. County officials have been seeking a permanent director for the shelter after terminating a contract with Care Corporation last year.
Although Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark said there are a lot of issues at the shelter that need to be addressed, he said improvements have been made. Under current Director Todd Hayden this year, the shelter has appointed new foster, rescue and volunteer coordinators and launched a community cat program. Clark said another goal is establishing a full-scale, countywide spay and neuter program.
The FY 2015-16 budget for the animal shelter was $2.2 million. Although Clark was in favor of a FY 2016-17 animal shelter budget of $3.4 million, the court approved a motion Sept. 6 to set aside $1 million of that total.
At the Sept. 6 meeting, Noack and Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley suggested the motion as a way to further study how the budget will be used to improve conditions at the animal shelter.
“Why don’t we take $1 million and set it aside, and if he does need it, and we know they need it, we’ll work on it,” Riley said.
Noack, Riley and Doyal voted in favor of the motion, which was approved with a 3-2 vote.
Two weeks prior, during the Aug. 23 Commissioners Court meeting, Clark also suggested lowering the animal shelter budget. At that time, he suggested lowering the budget back to $2.2 million because he said the higher $3.4 million budget may be more than what taxpayers were comfortable with.
During the week of Aug. 29, Clark said he thought $2.2 million might be a reachable operational budget for the animal shelter once an aggressive spay and neuter program is put in place.
“But, we need to do a better job of reducing our intake numbers,” Clark said. “Once we do that, I’m confident costs [at the shelter] will come down.”
Clark told the other members of Commissioners Court on Sept. 6 the county needs to fund the shelter at an acceptable level and he believes it has always been underfunded.
“When you don’t fund something at a proper level, it doesn’t work,” Clark said. “Across the nation, the intake of animals should be 30 per 1,000 [residents]. We should be taking in 16,500 animals a year, but we’ve been taking in 21,000 animals. One of the functions we’re supposed to be performing is good, healthy spay and neuter. The problem is, that costs money. If you don’t fund things, it’s like trying to fill up a fuel tank with a hole in the bottom.”
Montgomery County Commissioners Court adopted the fiscal year 2016-17 budget Sept. 6 after considering several proposed tweaks to the county tax rate and animal shelter budget over the previous six weeks.
The FY 2016-17 county budget is approximately $347 million.
The largest increases in the budget include approximately $8 million set aside for the capital improvement fund, which will give the county an opportunity to fund major projects without adding to its debt.
A tax cut was also factored in as part of the FY 2016-17 budget.
During the Aug. 23 Commissioners Court meeting, County Judge Craig Doyal proposed decreasing the property tax rate by a quarter of a cent. The money for the tax cut was to be allocated from a new capital improvement fund included in the FY 2016-17 budget.
“I hear every day that appraisals are out of line, which is the big hit people are taking,” Doyal said. “I think it’s a good move on our part to being able to reduce the burden on our taxpayers.”
However, Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack also came with a proposal during the Sept. 6 meeting to cut the tax rate by 1 cent down to a rate of 0.4667 per $100 valuation, which was approved by the court unanimously. The money for the tax cut will still come from the county’s new capital improvement fund.
Noack, who gave credit to Doyal for originally coming up with the idea, said he thought if the county was going to make a tax cut, it should make one that would be more impactful.
“When appraisals are going up as they have, it’s the homeowners taking it on the chin,” Noack said. “I believe a 1-cent tax reduction is measurable, it’s meaningful and it’s responsible.”
Since Montgomery County is over 80 percent unincorporated, Doyal said funding the sheriff’s department and major road projects is a challenge.
“We’ve heard the taxpayers say over and over, ‘Pay as you go,’” Doyal said. “In an effort to do that, we set aside this capital fund because we have had a lot of large projects that we can’t pay for out of a single budget.”
The budget also includes a funding increase for the road and bridge department, personnel—including seven new law enforcement positions—and an increase in debt service. Doyal said the catchup is ultimately more expensive than the keep-up.
“We’re not keeping up today, but we’re trying the best we can,” he said.
Animal shelter budget
County officials approved changes to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter Sept. 6.
Local residents and volunteers continue to address Commissioners Court regarding issues at the shelter, including concerns about its management. County officials have been seeking a permanent director for the shelter after terminating a contract with Care Corporation last year.
Although Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark said there are a lot of issues at the shelter that need to be addressed, he said improvements have been made. Under current Director Todd Hayden this year, the shelter has appointed new foster, rescue and volunteer coordinators and launched a community cat program. Clark said another goal is establishing a full-scale, countywide spay and neuter program.
The FY 2015-16 budget for the animal shelter was $2.2 million. Although Clark was in favor of a FY 2016-17 animal shelter budget of $3.4 million, the court approved a motion Sept. 6 to set aside $1 million of that total.
At the Sept. 6 meeting, Noack and Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley suggested the motion as a way to further study how the budget will be used to improve conditions at the animal shelter.
“Why don’t we take $1 million and set it aside, and if he does need it, and we know they need it, we’ll work on it,” Riley said.
Noack, Riley and Doyal voted in favor of the motion, which was approved with a 3-2 vote.
Two weeks prior, during the Aug. 23 Commissioners Court meeting, Clark also suggested lowering the animal shelter budget. At that time, he suggested lowering the budget back to $2.2 million because he said the higher $3.4 million budget may be more than what taxpayers were comfortable with.
During the week of Aug. 29, Clark said he thought $2.2 million might be a reachable operational budget for the animal shelter once an aggressive spay and neuter program is put in place.
“But, we need to do a better job of reducing our intake numbers,” Clark said. “Once we do that, I’m confident costs [at the shelter] will come down.”
Clark told the other members of Commissioners Court on Sept. 6 the county needs to fund the shelter at an acceptable level and he believes it has always been underfunded.
“When you don’t fund something at a proper level, it doesn’t work,” Clark said. “Across the nation, the intake of animals should be 30 per 1,000 [residents]. We should be taking in 16,500 animals a year, but we’ve been taking in 21,000 animals. One of the functions we’re supposed to be performing is good, healthy spay and neuter. The problem is, that costs money. If you don’t fund things, it’s like trying to fill up a fuel tank with a hole in the bottom.”
