Facility Opens Under Budget and Ahead of Schedule Walker County broke ground on its new jail in mid-December 2012 and celebrated its completion March 25, 2014, with a well-attended ribbon-cutting ceremony. For six years, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards had been urging Walker County to build a new jail. The old, run-down lockup was only able to pass inspection via a … [Read more...] about Walker County Celebrates New Jail
2012 County Property Tax Report
The taxpayer funds the majority of county government via the property tax, or ad valorem tax, which is the largest revenue source for Texas counties. According to the Texas Constitution, the county cannot levy a tax rate in excess of $.80 per $100 of property value for the county’s general fund, permanent improvement fund, road and bridge fund and jury fund. On top of the … [Read more...] about 2012 County Property Tax Report
General Counsel’s Report: Alternative County Revenue Sources
The County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas continues to support alternative county revenue sources during each legislative session. These proposals range from an expanded local option sales tax, to an increase in the local option vehicle registration fees, to local options for a variety of user fees for county services. Successes in these efforts have been few … [Read more...] about General Counsel’s Report: Alternative County Revenue Sources
Defining the County Budget
Legal document...approved expenditures...statement of revenue...expenses and fund balances While these somewhat clinical descriptions of the county budget are certainly valid, the budget document embodies much more to Commissioners Courts and the constituents they serve. The facts and figures in the Texas county budget often epitomize a way of life…or at least an intended … [Read more...] about Defining the County Budget
From the President – May 2014
Greetings! I hope all of you are surviving this season of allergies – pollen, cedar, mold, etc. Spring is most definitely here and in full bloom. I know all of you are working in your yards and planting your gardens, or at least those of you who have had moisture the past few months. This time of the year is when we begin thinking about budgets, appraisals from the … [Read more...] about From the President – May 2014