Commissioners approve budget, tax rate for upcoming year

Milam County Commissioners approved the budget and tax rate for 2018-19 during a meeting Sept. 10.

Commissioners approved the $19.8 million budget for the county by a vote of 4-1 with Precinct 2 Commissioner Donald Shuffield voting against it because of the tax rate going up. Shuffield also voted against the tax rate, which will move to 73 cents per $100 of valuation. The tax rate was approved by a vote of 4-1.

The budget will raise less revenue from property taxes than last year’s budget by an amount of $701,966, which is a six percent decrease from last year’s budget. The property tax revenue to be added from new property on the tax roll this year is $165,118.

County Judge David Barkemeyer said there was considerable debate among the court this time on whether to raise the tax rate at all or to leave it at 70 cents, and they were almost equally divided on the issue in a column earlier this month.

He said he would accept all the blame for the proposed 2019 budget containing the three-cent increase. 

“I had already asked the commissioners to each accept $125,000 less in their portion of the ad valorem tax revenue for next year, so in effect contributing a total of $500,000 - $125,000 x 4 - to the general fund side of the county budget to make up for the loss in tax revenue due to the Luminant closing,” he said.  “The argument from one of the commissioners was that they each give up as much as it would take, which would be about $215,000 each, or some $850,000 total to make the General Fund budget work out without having to increase the county tax rate.  It was my opinion that this would put too much strain on our road program in the county, particularly in certain precincts.”

Barkemeyer said he believes that the taxpayers need to support keeping our precincts doing as much as possible to keep our county roads maintained during this budget crunch, rather than significantly cutting back in some areas and/or overly depleting reserves.

General fund departments have cut budgets over $300,000 to help cover the revenue losses as well.  To balance the general fund budget, the county is building in the $900,000 reserve that they anticipate carrying over from 2018.  

In other business commissioners also: approved the salaries for 2019 for the County Auditor and Court Reporter; approved annual road reports; approved variances for subdivision on CR 215 and CR 342; approved certificates of attendance for Holly Dohnalik and Nancy Tucker for elections seminar; approved the notice of election; approved a proclamation naming Sept. 17-23 Constitution Week; approved a resolution supporting the efforts of Milam County to execute the restoration of the Milam County Courthouse to replace the French drain in the basement; and heard from Frank Lopez during public participation about the need for the county to send out sample ballots before elections.