The El Paso County Commissioners Court is considering a preliminary $542 million general fund budget for the next fiscal year that could require a tax increase of about $164 a year on the average value home.
The county introduced its preliminary budget and proposed its voter-approval tax rate Monday, though the court could adopt a lower tax rate as it works to finalize its budget over the next month. To adopt the no-new-revenue rate, however, the county would have to cut $40 million from the preliminary spending figures presented during the budget hearing.
The hearing outlined the preliminary budget expenditures that include pay raises for non-uniform county staff, increased spending for the Sheriff’s Office, judicial salaries and programs such as economic development and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. At the same time, culture and recreation, health and welfare, and public works will see decreases in spending…