Commissioners publish proposed FY 2027 tax rate

GRAHAM — Young County Commissioners on Monday unanimously approved publishing a proposed property tax rate of 59.9999 cents per $100 valuation, taking the first formal step toward adopting the county’s fiscal year 2027 budget. County Judge Win Graham said the final tax rate is expected to be lower.

The court also scheduled a public hearing on the proposed budget and tax rate for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 24 at the Young County Courthouse.

Judge Graham told commissioners the published rate represents the highest rate the county may legally consider while budget negotiations continue. He said the county’s spending plan remains a work in progress and that he expects the final adopted tax rate to come in “significantly lower” before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

Monday’s action does not establish the county’s tax rate. Instead, state law requires counties to publish a proposed maximum rate before holding a public hearing and adopting a final budget.

The proposed rate is higher than the 58.6350cent rate commissioners adopted last year, when they approved a $19.4 million budget while lowering the county tax rate for the second consecutive year. Judge Graham said at the time that the county had balanced employee raises, infrastructure improvements and public safety investments while remaining mindful of the tax burden on residents.

This year’s budget appears more ambitious.

Commissioners are currently working from a draft budget that includes 10 percent raises for county dispatchers and 5 percent raises for most other county employees, compared with the 3 percent across-theboard raises approved in last year’s budget. The proposal also continues funding for major capital purchases, including a new fire truck and bulldozer, while addressing emergency medical services and other county priorities.

The larger proposed raises suggest county leaders are placing a greater emphasis on recruiting and retaining employees in a competitive labor market while continuing to invest in county equipment and infrastructure.

According to the county’s published tax notice, the proposed rate is below the voter-approval rate, meaning commissioners may adopt it without calling a tax ratification election.

If the county ultimately adopted the published rate, the owner of a median- value homestead would pay an estimated $963 in county property taxes, compared with $858 this year — an increase of $105, or 12.23 percent. Much of that increase, however, would be driven by higher property values rather than the tax rate alone.

The median taxable homestead value in Young County has risen from $146,477 to $160,647, an increase of 9.67 percent, according to the county’s notice. Countywide property tax collections would increase from approximately $8.9 million to $9.6 million, a 7.75 percent increase if the published rate were ultimately adopted.

Commissioners spent much of Monday’s meeting reviewing line items in the proposed budget, including replacing employee cell phone allowances with county-issued phones, adjusting reserve fund transfers and discussing the county’s recently awarded rural ambulance grant. The court later recessed and entered executive session.