Fort Bend County’s new budget shows signs of a growing region, with higher tax revenue and growing expenditures. The county approved a $346.2 million fiscal year 2016-17 budget and a 2017 tax rate of $0.458 per $100 valuation.

Budget

On Sept. 13 Commissioners Court approved the budget, which reflects an 8.74 percent increase from the FY 2015-16 budget, or $27.8 million more for the upcoming year. Within the approved budget, $261.1 million, or 75.4 percent, will go toward general fund expenditures. About 7 percent, or $24.7 million, is allocated for the road and bridge fund and 3.2 percent, or nearly $11 million, will go toward the drainage fund, according to county documents. Pamela Gubbels, county director of finance and investments, said costs grew because of new employees and capital project expenditures, including work on the county animal service building and the fairgrounds.

Tax rates

The new tax rate represents a 1.5 percent decrease from 2016, which is $0.465 per $100 of valuation. Tax revenue increased by $14.8 million, or 5.73 percent, in FY 2016-17. A total of $11.5 million was generated from new property added to the tax roll, according to county documents. Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyer said he is gathering information for a hearing of the Texas Senate Select Committee on Property Tax Reform and Relief at the request of the committee's chairperson, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston. The hearing will take place Sept. 29 in Houston. Bettencourt is pushing to change legislation allowing for a rollback election if property taxes increase by more than 4 percent. “I’ve put some information for him, for his committee that shows that Fort Bend County is, this year, is below the 4 percent rollback rate that he is advocating,” Meyers said.

Officials’ salaries

The county also approved a 3.37 percent increase in annual salaries for elected county officials, which Precinct 4 Commissioner James Patterson said was the result of a compensation study. County Judge Robert Hebert and the Fort Bend County sheriff will each earn $131,519 in FY 2016-17, while commissioners will each receive $125,250. Salaries for the district attorney, county judges and district court judges are unchanged from FY 2015-16 because the state legislature, rather than the county, sets compensation for such positions, Patterson said.