The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District headquarters. Staff photo by Caden Senn
The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District (CTGCD) is preparing to approve its 2026-27 fiscal year budget next month, with a slight increase to the tax rate to fund a reduced budget.
Residents of the district have a chance to discuss the rate and budget at an upcoming meeting on Sept. 15 before the Board of Directors votes to adopt them. Meetings usually begin at 9 a.m. and take place at the district’s office at 303 Bluebonnet Drive in Burnet.
See the entire proposed FY 2026-27 budget here. Compare it to the FY 2025-26 budget here.
The budget was formulated using a proposed tax rate of $0.0057 per $100 property tax valuation, which is slightly higher than last year’s rate of $0.0055.
The proposed FY 2026-27 budget includes roughly $998,000 in expenditures, which is a drastic decrease as compared to $1.86 million approved in FY 2025-26.
CTGCD General Manager Mitchell Sodek explained during a recent board meeting that this decrease is mainly due to last year’s budget including costs to purchase the district’s new central office, of which $960,000 was initially set aside.
“Last year (the district had) a significant amount from reserves to purchase this building and property, and we also had the debt proceeds from the loan,” he said.
What is the CTGCD?
In conjunction with a five-member, elected board of directors, the CTGCD regulates groundwater usage in Burnet County. The district is responsible for assessing permits to build and operate groundwater wells, determining the county’s drought stage, and creating aquifer management zones, amongst other responsibilities.
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