Gregg County Budget Draft Pledges $2.5 Million for New Animal Shelter

LONGVIEW — A $58.9 million Gregg County budget proposal for the coming fiscal year includes a $2.5 million commitment to building a new animal shelter in partnership with the city of Longview. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report County Judge Bill Stoudt filed his spending proposal with County Clerk Connie Wade on Thursday. The document seeks the same, 26¼-cent tax rate property owners shouldered this year. It also adds no county debt while still laying out about $14 million for large projects such as the proposed animal center. The day-to-day operations budget is proposed at $47.4 million, and is separate from the capital projects budget that is fed by reserves.

Stoudt proposes spending $4 million less next year on capital projects, after substantial investments this year in the George Richey Road extension and renovation of the Henry Atkinson Terminal at East Texas Regional Airport. “We’ll probably put some additional (money) into reserves this year,” he said.