Llano County Budget nearly finalized

by Phil Reynolds
The Highlander
Llano County commissioners started the clock ticking on final approval of the 2016-2017 budget and tax rate Monday when they unanimously approved proposed figures for both.
They have 30 days from that vote to make the decision final. Public hearings on both the tax rate and the budget are scheduled for the regular commissioner meeting at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12, at the justice of the peace courtroom in the Llano County Law Enforcement Center, 2001 N. Bessemer St. in Llano.
The proposed budget is $14,719,664, $253,231 more than the budget County Judge Mary Cunningham originally offered commissioners and $623,554 more than the current budget.
Most of the difference between the final proposal and Cunningham’s offer came in increases for law enforcement agencies, the judge said.
Cunningham said she objected to the increases because they required taking money from the county’s reserve fund, which she said is “not for stuff people want, but for emergencies.” She nevertheless voted with other commissioners to approve the increase.
The commissioners propose the effective tax rate, that is a tax rate that would produce the same amount of taxes if applied to the same properties taxed in both years. In this case they propose a rate of ($0.30459) 30.459 cents per $100 valuation as compared to last year's rate of ($0.3162) 31.62 cents per $100. New properties can add revenue, but individual tax bills would only increase because of property value increases.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Peter Jones argued in favor of the budget increase, saying it met major commissioner objectives including balancing the budget (with the added funds from the reserve fund) and maintaining the current tax rate.
“If we keep on this way (drawing from the reserve), we’re going to have to slash some services,” Cunningham warned. “I don’t think that’s good, but the majority wants it.”
She also pointed to the county courthouse, where she said air conditioning failures have driven temperatures to nearly 100 degrees in some offices.
“We need a 150-200-ton air conditioning unit to cool that building,” she said.
Commissioners must have a budget and the tax funding to finance it in place before the county’s fiscal year starts Oct. 1.