Hays County Commissioners Court Approves FY 2019
Budget, Down More Than $57 Million from FY 2018
Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – The Hays County Commissioners Court has adopted an FY 2019 budget of approximately $315 million, a decrease of more than $57 million from the current 2018 fiscal year budget. The Court also set a tax rate of 43.37 cents per $100 valuation, which is the effective tax rate (the total tax rate needed to raise the same amount of property tax revenue for Hays County from the same properties in both the 2017 and 2018 tax years). The current tax rate is 44.50 per $100 valuation.
The budget goes into effect on October 1, 2018.
County government taxes are only part of any property owner’s overall tax bill since other jurisdictions – such as cities, schools and special districts – set their own tax rates.
The budget also includes $955,000 for 22 new fulltime positions and personnel changes, as well as $2 million for updating election equipment and $927,000 matching funds for a new RMS/CAD hardware and software package to enhance 911 communications throughout the county. The Court also will lower debt by making an additional $5 million payment on outstanding bonds.
Except for three constables who took their request for a raise to a grievance committee which approved a raise of $6,238 for the constables in Precincts 1, 3, and 4, no elected officials will receive a salary increase. A three-percent merit pool has been budgeted for employees who are not part of the collective bargaining agreement for law enforcement, to be allocated based on performance evaluations. Also included in the budget is $1.7 million to implement a market analysis for law enforcement positions per the voter-approved Collective Bargaining Agreement, and $250,000 for law enforcement positions related to the new jail facility. Funding was also included for personnel and equipment to establish the new District Court and County Court-at-Law #3.
For detailed information about the complexities of tax rate calculations required by law, visit the Truth in Taxation information on the Hays County website. If you have additional questions about your personal tax bill, contact Luanne Caraway, Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector, at luanne@co.hays.tx.us , 512-393-5545, or visit the main tax office at 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Once finalized, financial documents will be available for review online at www.co.hays.tx.us at the Financial Transparency link. A copy of the budget will also be available at the County Auditor’s Office in the Hays County Government Center, 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos 78666.