McLennan County commissioners are poised to vote Tuesday on a budget $8.3 million larger than the current one expiring Sept. 30. It includes a 3.51% cost-of-living adjustment for most of the county’s 1,100 employees and 16 new positions “to assist in law enforcement, judicial functions, and information technology support,” says a budget summary.
“Compared to the current tax rate of .376355, the proposed tax rate for the upcoming year is a 4.655-cent decrease, or 12.4%,” says the county.
With the proposed tax rate of 32.9 cents per $100 valuation, the county has decreased the tax rate 20 cents since 2016, or 37.2%.
“The court had the ability to raise the tax rate to the max rate—without an election—of .46701, which is the voter-approval rate,” said the county.
The summary says population growth countywide has made necessary increases in the budgets for law enforcement, indigent health care and indigent defense. County commissioners increased by 10% the county contribution to employee health insurance due to inflation.
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Helping the cause is a 16% year-over-year increase in the county’s taxable property value, appraisals now standing at $27.9 billion.
The no-new-revenue rate is a rate that would produce the same amount of taxes if applied to the same properties taxed in consecutive years.
As usual, law enforcement and jail operations combine to represent a sizable chunk of the roughly $149 million general fund budget. Running the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office will cost $14.6 million next fiscal year, up from $13.3 million. Running the county jail will cost a budgeted $18.9 million, up from $17.8 million; and operating the Jack Harwell Detention Center will cost $12.3 million, a projected jump from this year’s $11.6 million.
Recruiting and keeping industry falls into the category of economic development. The county will increase its contribution to the Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corp. fund from $3.75 million to $4 million, and the city of Waco will do the same. County commissioners allocated $175,000 for industrial business grants in the new budget, having made no such grants in the current fiscal year. It will increase its contribution to the McLennan County Community Investment Fund, which assists small businesses, from $50,000 to $100,000. And it will increase contributions to the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce from $293,363 to $374,500.
These expenditures “will have a positive R-O-I impact,” said a county news release, referencing return on investment.
“Although the proposed budget is an increase compared to the prior year, the Commissioners Court has been able to support the budget needs while lowering the tax rate,” said the release. “This is due to leaning on increases in other revenues—sales and use tax, fines and fees, charges for services to support the increases in the budget.” The release said the county continues to maintain a minimum fund balance of 33% of operating expenditures, which is available for emergencies or unexpected expenses.
Countywide street and bridge repair apparently will pick up steam beginning Oct. 1, commissioners increasing the allocation for right-of-way purchases from $175,000 to $539,424. Professional services related to street and bridge work will increase to $500,000 from $136,641, the budget projects.
