Upcoming Gregg County Budget Filled with Questions

LONGVIEW — He’s waiting for answers to a handful of key questions before finalizing his proposed spending plan for 2013-14, but Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt is sure of one thing. “This much I can tell you: we’re not raising the tax rate,” he said Friday. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Stoudt is planning to continue honing the county budget this week, but there are still many unknown elements. Those include how national health care reform will affect insurance premiums. And final property values won’t be certified until later this summer, when all taxing entities will know what tweaking a tax rate up or down will do.

The county’s 26.25-cent tax rate will bring in less money next year if a 6.5% drop in preliminary property values holds true. The early estimates issued each May typically move nearer to the previous year’s mark by the time values are certified, for which the deadline this year is July 25. “So, right now, we’re just focusing on expenses,” Stoudt said. “I am hopeful our general revenue spending will be pretty flat.” The judge said he hopes to deliver a full budget proposal to county commissioners in late July or early August. The fiscal year begins October 1.