Pay raises could trigger increase in property tax

County auditor: Hike may be needed to cover cost of county business

Bowie County Courthouse is seen in December 2015 in New Boston, Texas,
Bowie County Courthouse is seen in December 2015 in New Boston, Texas,

NEW BOSTON, Texas-A 5 percent pay raise for Bowie County employees come from county contingency reserve funds as well as from a possible property tax rate increase, an official said.

The Bowie County Commissioners Court approved the across-the-board pay increase for all county employees last week. 

It's a move that could add at least $450,000 to the county's fiscal year 2016-2017 budget, set to take effect Oct. 1, Bowie County Auditor William Tye said.

Tye said the county has managed to build up some contingency reserve funds since early 2015. However, he added that in addition to the cost-of-living pay increase, the county will also have to look at possibly raising its property tax rate to take care of employee benefits, such as health insurance.

Tye said county officials are still working on the budget and how much of a proposed tax increase is needed.

Health insurance wasn't included in the 5 percent pay raise, and county officials are looking at having to increase employee health insurance by 20 percent. The county's property tax rate stands at .399173 per $100 valuation on real property, according to the Bowie Central Appraisal District Office. Taxes on a home valued at $100,000 would be $399.17 at the current tax rate.

Besides health insurance considerations, Tye added that a property tax rate increase may also be needed to simply help finance the general cost of conducting county business.

A recent petition to put a Bowie County Sheriff's Office pay increase proposal on the November ballot helped prompt the county's overall pay increase.

Besides the 5 percent pay increase, the county has slated the Sheriff's Office to be funded for a fleet of intercept vehicles, which Tye said could be financed through a tax note, which could be paid out over a four-to-five-year period-although it would have to get approval from the Texas State Attorney General's Office.

Tye added that while the exact number of intercept vehicles hadn't yet been decided, each vehicle costs about $27,150 apiece

"Right now, I have no dollar amount for a fleet of these new cars," he said. "That's something we're still working on, but I think we'll get to do a tax note."

Intercept vehicles are more resistant to crash damage and have more extensive bullet-proof paneling, said Precinct 4 Commissioner Mike Carter.

Besides the vehicles and pay increase, commissioners also included a financial deal whereby deputies would receive about $275,000 of accrued overtime pay rather than having it swapped out for compensation time. This move is being conducted in accordance with the U.S. Department of Labor's current efforts to enforce the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

"We'll try to pay overtime debt out of this year's (current) budget," Tye said.

Commissioners set public hearing dates for the county's proposed 2016-17 fiscal year budget and for the tax rate for 10 a.m. Sept. 6 and Sept. 12.

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