Commissioners okay budget, tax rate

By Melinda L. Lucas

After holding the required public hearing prior to their 9:00 a.m. session, Shackelford County commissioners adopted the proposed budget and tax rate at a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

There was no one from the general public to voice any opposition or comment on the proposals. 

Elected officials also acted on a number of other routine items in a fairly long agenda on Monday morning.

Budget Okayed

A $4,401,613 deficit budget proposed at the Aug. 14 session was approved unanimously without discussion. 

The expenditure figure is $98,642 more than last year’s adjusted budget, while a projection of revenues is $4,287,210.

The deficit of $114,403 will come from the county’s fund balance, although county judge Robert Skelton commented that the entire budget amount is rarely spent, and the income forecast is conservative.

In addition to $67,420 for a five percent salary increase for county employees, the budget includes significant increases in health insurance, insurance premiums on buildings and vehicles, redistricting costs, and a new LEC maintenance agreement, as well as a few other line item increases.

The $4,401,613 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1 when the new budget year begins, was approved unanimously on a motion by Steve Riley.

Tax Rates Approved

Since the tax rate proposed on Aug. 14 was the one that promised “no-new-revenue” (NNR) for the upcoming tax year, county officials had to post and publish one notice before voting on the increase in order to comply with newly revised state laws.

The commissioners were also allowed to vote on the budget and tax rate immediately following the public hearing, unlike in past years when the vote could not take place the same day.

Even though it is calculated to bring in about the same amount of tax revenue as last year, the proposed tax rate of 65.06 cents is actually about two cents more than the current year’s tax rate of 62.92  cents, due to lower property valuations.

The tax rate was approved in two separate motions.

The interest and sinking (I&S) portion of the tax rate, 5.86 cents, to pay the county’s debt service, was adopted on a motion by Lanham Martin, with a second from Riley.

The motion to approve the maintenance and operating (M&O) rate of 59.20 cents was made by Cody Jordan, with Ace Reames seconding.

Both motions passed unanimously on 4-0 votes.

Other Business

•The sheriff’s and constable’s fees for 2022 were approved.

•Bid notices for bulk fuel and for maintenance of the Courthouse lawn and two county cemeteries were approved.

•There was no action on the burn ban, which is currently in place.