FY19 Williamson County Budget Could Call For Higher Property Tax

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — The Williamson County Budget Office has presented a proposed budget for fiscal year 2019 — one that could call for increased property taxes.

Patch asked for details on the amount of the budget ahead of Tuesday's reveal after receiving a Monday press advisory alerting to the recommended budget. Instead, Patch received a release from last year related to that previous budget. "I don’t know if the Budget Office plans to release any figures prior to their presentation, but I have asked and will let you know," county spokeswoman Connie Odom wrote.

That update never came, but details emerged after the Tuesday budget office presentation. The budget session revealed pursuit of approval for the maximum tax rate of 46.65 cents per $100 valuation for next fiscal year, which is the same tax rate as the current period.

But despite the same targeted tax rate for FY19, county homeowners with an average homestead value of $284,484 is expected to pay roughly $1,327 in county property taxes next year. That's an increase from last year, when the average homeowner paid $1,256 in county property taxes.

Overall, the proposed budget stands at $329.3 million, officials said — a $1.6 million increase from the last fiscal year. Budget and tax rate approval is contingent on a pair of public hearings on Aug. 14 and Aug. 28. County commissioners on July 31 approved the setting of the maximum 46.65 cents per $100 valuation for the coming fiscal year.

Leading up to the public hearing and budget adoption on August 28, member of the public will be able to comment on the budget by signing up for citizens comments at regularly held Commissioners Court meetings on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. in the Williamson County Courthouse in Georgetown, officials said.

"The process of budget adoption follows a standard procedure with the ultimate goals of transparency and accountability, all while addressing the needs of the community," a county press advisory read. "First, county elected officials and department heads put together their requested budgets. The Budget Office takes that information and reviews historical data on spending, current trends on costs and expenses, along with other data to decide what to recommend as a budget based on the needs of the community."

Once a recommended budget has been created, it is presented to the Commissioners Court for discussion, officials explained. The Commissioners Court then hears the initial budget recommendation as well as post-recommendation requests from elected officials and department heads, according to the advisory.

After that, two public modification voting sessions accommodate needed changes to the recommended budget. Before the budget is adopted, a public meeting is staged during which residents can voice their opinion on the budget and where money should and should not be spent, officials noted. This opportunity gives the public the ability to have a direct say into the county’s budgeting process, county officials noted.

"After the public hearing, changes can be made, if necessary," officials wrote. "Once a final budget is assembled, the Commissioners Court votes and approves the budget, and it is then filed with the county clerk."

Concurrently, the tax assessor-collector calculates the effective and rollback tax rates for the county. The county auditor then forecasts how much funding the county can expect in the upcoming fiscal year, officials said.

The Commissioners Court sets a maximum proposed tax rate. Two public hearings are scheduled to discuss the proposed tax rate on Aug. 14 and Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. during the Commissioners Court meeting. The Commissioners Court will then adopt the tax rate on Aug, 28.

Budget information can be found on the website at www.wilco.org/budget. Those unable to attend a meeting can watch recordings via the Williamson County web portal. Below are the dates for the budget presentation at Commissioners Court, the post-recommendation workshop, the budget modification voting sessions, the public hearing, and the adoption of the FY 2019 Budget, all of which are open to the public.

• August 7, 2018, 9:30 a.m. - FY 2019 Budget Presentation to Court (During Commissioners Court)
• August 7, 2018, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Post-Recommendation Workshop
• August 14, 2018, 10 a.m. – Public hearing on proposed maximum tax rate
• August 16, 2018, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Budget Modification Voting Session
• August 21, 2018, 10 a.m. – Public hearing on proposed maximum tax rate
• August 21, 2018, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. - Budget Modification Voting Session
• August 28, 2018, 10:00 a.m. – Public Hearing for FY 2019 Budget (During Commissioners Court)
• August 28, 2018 - Adopt FY 2019 Budget (During Commissioners Court)
• August 28, 2018 – Adopt county tax rate (During Commissioners Court)

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