In a nutshell
At a July 30 budget workshop, Fort Bend County staff recommended $720.61 million in expenditures for the fiscal year 2024-25 budget, a 6.6% increase from FY 2023-24.
Budget requests from the departments initially had proposed budget expenditures at $760.14 million, a 12.4% increase from the previous fiscal year, according to a May 6 presentation.
Additionally, the finance department is recommending a 1 1/2-cent, or 3.51%, tax rate decrease, Director of Finance and Investments Pamela Gubbels said.
If approved, this would lower the county’s combined tax rate for the county and drainage district to $0.424 per $100 valuation; the rate would be below the no-new-revenue rate of $0.424198, which is the rate that would generate the same property tax revenue as the year prior, according to budget documents.
A closer look
County departments requested 204 additional positions this year, although the proposed budget only recommended 33 of the requests, Gubbels said.
Departments were also given the opportunity to go before Commissioners Court to share the needs for 82 pending positions, totaling $8.36 million. Some requested positions still pending include:
- Emergency Medical Services: scheduler and public engagement/education representative
- Court administration: staffing for a magistrate court, including a judge, two part-time coordinators, a deputy district clerk, two bailiffs and an assistant district attorney
- Sheriff detention: six bonding specialists
What else?
Additionally, the county is considering spending $20.32 million in FY 2024-25 on its five-year capital improvement program, including:
- Relocating the mosquito control unit and environmental health departments into new a building ($8.87 million)
- Upgrading school zone lights ($3.04 million)
- Renovating the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds ($2 million)
- Converting the library phone system ($1.1 million)
- Improving traffic signals safety ($1.01 million)
Fort Bend County commissioners are set to adopt the FY 2024-25 budget and property tax rate Sept. 10. The FY 2024-25 budget will begin on Oct. 1, according to the July 30 presentation.
Other important budget dates include:
- Aug. 13: Propose a tax rate, set public hearings and propose salaries for elected officials.
- Sept. 9: Hold a public hearing on proposed budget.
- Sept. 10: Hold a public hearing on the proposed budget and tax rate. Adopt positions, salaries of elected officials, fleet management and take home vehicles.
