During the second day of Montgomery County’s budget workshops for fiscal year 2025-26, county department leaders presented requests for additional personnel, staff raises, equipment and other budget proposals.

Meeting highlights

On Aug. 13, Montgomery County Commissioners Court heard budget requests from various department heads as well as from some county-funded nonprofits. Some of the requests were already included in the preliminary FY 2025-26 budget, county staff said.

One of the largest county department requests Aug. 13 was for $493,176 to fund salaries and benefits for seven additional employees to work at the county’s Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office. The requested employees include an administrator, a call center employee and employees at the department’s Conroe, Magnolia, Montgomery and Willis offices, according to Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae’s presentation.

“That is ... the single largest ask that I've ever done before this court before,” McRae said. “This request is not made lightly. ... We have a lot of pressing needs. The county's growing, and we're just trying to sustain our service quality to our taxpayers ... and keep up with the rapid pace.”

The county’s engineering department requested $257,800 to cover salary raises for engineer positions as well as the addition of two engineer inspectors. One engineering position has remained open since about March 2024, likely due to the salary not being competitive enough, County Engineer Tommy Woolley said.

Commissioners did not vote on any of the presented requests Aug. 13.

Also on the agenda

Other requests from department heads for the proposed FY 2025-26 budget include:

• $314,300 for equipment and staffing changes under the county’s IT Services Department
• $152,800 for four additional court clerks under the District Clerk’s Office
• $134,800 for an animal care technician and a veterinary technician for the Animal Services Department
• $78,200 for an investigator, two full-time employees and one part-time clerical employee for the Medical Examiner’s Office

Commissioners Court began its series of budget workshops for the FY 2025-26 budget Aug. 12. Discussion included law enforcement pay.

Stay tuned

A third day of budget discussions is planned for Aug. 14, including updates on capital improvements and a special session for the county’s proposed tax rate, according to the meeting schedule posted online.

The final FY 2025-26 budget is scheduled to be voted on during a special session Sept. 5.

To watch the Commissioners Court’s budget workshops, click here.