NEW BOSTON, Texas- Using the same property tax rate as this year, Bowie County commissioners will fund next fiscal year's 2018-2019 budget.
This rate is just slightly more than 42 cents per $100 valuation on real property.
Bowie County Judge James Carlow previously said that continuing with the same rate will allow the county to afford a 3 percent, across the board county employee pay raise. This same rate will also help the county meet its operations and maintenance obligations as provided for in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2018-2019 budget.
The fiscal year begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30.
Besides approving the tax rate, commissioners also approved the county's $34.9 million budget for next fiscal year.
Besides the salary increases, the budget will include continued payments for new roofing recently placed on the county's 33-year-old courthouse and on the county's downtown Texarkana office on Main Street.
Some of the county's major operations and maintenance expenditures provided in the budget include:
- slightly more than $11 million to operate the Bowie County Correctional Center,
- $3.4 million for the sheriff's office,
- more than $2.2 million set aside for miscellaneous funds,
- nearly $1.8 million for operating Bowie County's portion of the Bi-State Justice Center building and jail,
- nearly $1.7 million for the district attorney's office,
- $1.3 million for commissioner Precinct 4
- and $1.1 million for commissioner Precinct 3.
Other items include:
- $756,274 for the district clerk's office,
- $749,163 for the public defenders office,
- $707,864 for the juvenile probation office,
- $578,460 for commissioner Precinct 1,
- $565,916 for commissioner Precinct 2,
- $537, 544 for the tax assessor-collector's office,
- and $393,343 for the auditor's office.
- $348,698 for the Bowie County Court-at-Law,
- $338,35 for the county clerk's office,
- $260,952 for the elections administration office,
- $163,279 for the treasurer's office,
- $145,874 for the Bowie County Emergency Management office,
- $99,653 for the fines and collections office,
- $75,344 for the veterans service office
- and $72,649 for the purchasing office.