Commissioners discuss tax rate, set budget workshop and public hearings

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Commissioners Court has set a special-called meeting for 10 a.m. Friday, August 8, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. At Tuesday’s regular meeting, the court discussed the proposed tax rate and scheduled public hearings. They took a record vote to set the proposed tax rate, unanimously voting to keep it the same as last year, which is 0.364231 cents. The public hearings on the proposed tax rate are set for 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 2.

“I don’t want to increase that tax rate. We have a lot of residents in the same fix as our employees,” County Judge Neal Franklin said, referring to higher cost of living prices on groceries, etc. He said county departments have been working to cut costs where they can. Franklin said he would still like to see a 3 percent cost of living raise for county employees this year.

Franklin said earlier that the budget’s primary areas of focus this year will include cost of living raises for employees, the rising costs of health insurance, Texas Association of Counties’ insurance rate increases, inmate medical and food costs in the jail going up and raising the county court-at-law and district judges’ salaries imposed by the Texas Legislature.

“We’ve had a lot of requests this year for full-time employees and new vehicles and equipment… But we have several things we must do.”

To watch any of the Commissioners Court meetings, including budget workshops, click here.

To view the agenda for Friday’s meeting, click here.