The overview
The total adopted budget for all funds is $2.8 billion and includes a $1 billion general fund, which is $138 million more than FY 2024-25’s general fund budget of $901 million. Other budgets include a $560 million capital projects budget, $992 million operating appropriations budget, $174 million for debt service and $270 million in carry forward funding.
Sorting out details
County officials have also adopted the tax rate of $0.299999, which is the same tax rate the county has adopted since FY 2019-20. According to county documents, the adopted tax rate is below the state-calculated no-new-revenue rate and represents a continued reduction in taxes.The commissioners court has continually lowered the property tax rate over the years and has implemented other saving measures, such as a senior citizen tax freeze, according to county documents. These measures have netted $2.8 billion in cumulative savings to county taxpayers.
The budget also invests in public safety and includes $1.3 million for 22 new patrol positions in the sheriff’s office, enhancements to the sheriff’s missing persons unit, DWI enforcement and training.
Additional public safety investments include:
- 10 adult detention sergeants
- Six investigators for the criminal investigation division and the public integrity unit
- Four additional constables for each precinct
- Funding for additional helicopter operations