County budget, tax rate approved

By Melinda L. Lucas

After holding the required hearings for the proposed budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year and then for the proposed tax rate for 2024,  Shackelford County commissioners voted unanimously during a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7 to adopt both.

The $4,955,169 budget that had been proposed and filed on Aug. 14, as required by law, had been refined since that time, and the amount that ended up being adopted last week was actually $4,713,006, almost $250,000 less.

Lanham Martin made the motion to adopt the $4.7 million budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1, 2023, with a second from Cody Jordan. A roll call vote confirmed that all commissioners, as well as county judge John Viertel, were in favor.

Following that, separate motions were made to approve the Interest & Sinking tax rate of 6.9 cents to cover the bond for the law enforcement building (Cody Jordan/Ace Reames) and the Maintenance and Operating tax rate of 59.41 cents (Jordan/Steve Riley). Roll call votes were taken on each, with all five officials in favor.

The total tax rate is $.6631/$100 valuation, calculated to generate an M&O tax revenue of $3,464,350. When added to the I&S tax revenue for the LEC bond, the total is $3,867,391.

It is below the rate that requires voter approval and includes the county’s “unused tax increment” of 3.69 cents. Last year’s actual rate is 63.65 cents, and the No New Revenue rate is 60.07 cents.

Show Barn Update

Stock show association officer Mike Parsons updated county officials about the ongoing renovations at the county show barn, most of which are complete.

“We raised $360,000 toward the improvements in just nine days, and that includes $20,000 from the county,” said Parsons.

He thanked the elected officials and invited them to a ribbon cutting the next day.

Bid Notices

In a special meeting Sept. 12, bid requests were approved for Courthouse lawn care, county cemeteries, and a fuel contract.