Burnet County commissioners amend budget, address department needs
Burnet County Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle scanned through the proposed budget for funds that could be reallocated during the Aug. 27 meeting. Staff photo by Elizabeth De Los Santos
Burnet County department heads outlined their financial needs during a public hearing on the proposed 2024-25 budget at the Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday, Aug. 27. Afterward, commissioners approved 14 budget amendments.
Burnet County Auditor Karin Smith said no changes were made to the total value of the budget, just cuts and reallocation of already existing funds.
The meeting concluded with $58,241.42 taken from unallocated funds, $76,314.25 from fuel reserves, and $26,000 from several, smaller line-items to cover the amendments.
The proposed fiscal year 2024-25 budget will be fueled by an estimated $38.11 million in revenue, of which $33.36 million will come from general property taxes. The 2023-24 budget saw $34.36 million in total revenue, $30.11 million coming from general property taxes.
The 2024-25 budget is contingent upon the approval of the proposed tax rate of 0.3541 cents per $100 valuation, which has not yet happened. It’s the same rate as 2023-24 but will generate 9.11 percent, or $3.81 million, more value this fiscal year due to an overall rise in property values as well as new property.
A separate hearing to finalize the tax rate is Sept. 10 at 9:30 a.m. in the Burnet County Courthouse.
Burnet County Judge James Oakley commented on the outcome of the meeting in an interview with DailyTrib.com following the budget work, stating that, overall, there was $15 million in requested increases to the 2024-25 budget and only $3.1 million in new revenue from property taxes to satisfy new requests.
“There were some cuts made, we got creative on ways to accommodate some of those requests … but we did this without raising taxes, and I feel very proud of what we were able to accomplish today,” he said.
Among the key changes to the 2024-25 budget were adjustments to titles for several employees, pay increases for staff from multiple departments, an increase in funding for vehicle maintenance in the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, and a part-time mental health clerk position to be added to the magistrate’s office.
One significant change is the intent to create a fund dedicated to the county jail and Sheriff’s Office using excess money from the inmate housing fund from last fiscal year’s budget.
Chief Magistrate Tamara Tinney, Capt. Matt Kimbler from Jail Administration, Chief Deputy Alan Trevino, and District Attorney-elect Perry Thomas voiced their requests and negotiated with the Commissioners Court, appealing for amendments to their respective portions of the overall budget.