A Tax Hike For Smith County Residents

TYLER – Smith County commissioners have adopted a new budget and approved an ever so little tax increase. The action came at Tuesday’s meeting. While approving a balanced budget, the commissioners approved a tax rate of .337311 cents. This is an increase of .007311 over the current tax rate. That means, before exemptions, the average home owners tax bill would increase around $26.00. And on a 4 to 1 vote, the commissioners voted to increase salaries for elected officials. The lone no vote came from commissioner Terry Phillips.