Hays County Commissioners Lowers Tax Rate, Sets County Budget

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – The Hays County Commissioners Court has finalized and approved its FY 2016 budget and tax rate. The County’s fiscal year begins October 1.

The Commissioners Court approved a tax rate of .4670 cents per $100 valuation, down from the FY 2015 rate of .4690. However, the County expects to gain more tax revenue based on higher valuation of property (average home price in FY 2015 was $176,326 versus $190,152 in FY 2016) and additional property added to the tax rolls. The County’s FY 2016 budget was set at just under $178.4 million.

The Court authorized the use of $500,000 from General Fund Reserves to repair damage from the Memorial Weekend flood and storms and indicated that additional reserves might be needed as project assessments continue.

Included in the budget is $1 million from the County Debt Reserves to pay down principal balance on debt; $125,000 to update the Hazard Mitigation Plan, $250,000 to continue a study of a new jail facility; and $150,000 for body cameras and Taser program for law enforcement officers.

The budget includes $1.9 million for replacement of fully equipped law enforcement vehicles, $144,000 to replace infrastructure for outdated and inadequate server storage and Wi-Fi capability throughout County buildings; $106,000 to upgrade a district court room to full functionality for jury trials; and $172,000 for capital software expenditures to address video magistration, countywide custom reporting and electronic storage options.

Also included is $125,000 for salary increases and incentive pay for eligible law enforcement positions per the County’s Collective Bargaining Agreement; $1.4 million to implement market study recommendations for employees and department heads and $238,000 for elected officials and $364,000 for 11 new fulltime positions countywide.

For budget details, visit www.co.hays.tx.us and choose the Financial Transparency icon on the home page, or go directly to the financial documents at http://www.co.hays.tx.us/financial-transparency.aspx.