Stephens County Commissioners approve budget and tax rate, leave burn ban off
By Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
The Stephens County Commissioners Court held a public hearing and meeting Monday morning, Sept. 16, to discuss the 2025 budget, a tax rate increase and the status of the county’s burn ban, as well as other county business.
County Judge Michael Roach opened the public hearing on the proposed budget, noting it does not include raises for county staff or elected officials. He said they gave raises last year to staff and the last time they gave raises to elected officials was in 2022.
County Treasurer Kelsey Cornwall described the budget as realistic with revenues and expenses the county can live with.
“It is a budget … that we can live with,” she said. “It’s a realistic revenues, and it’s realistic expenses.”
She said there are a lot of things that are required and mandatory that the local officials don’t have discretion over whether to spend the money on or not. And, because of that, she said, there are things the county would like to do that they’re not going to get to do this year.
“But,” she said. “I think that we’re on the road out of the austerity measures that you guys had for several years. We’re not fully out of the woods yet, but we’re on the road out. So … it’s a realistic budget that can really … guide us this next year.”
Following the discussion and hearing, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the fiscal year 2025 budget and the 2024 Stephens County property tax rate of $0.67280 per $100 valuation. That is an increase of $0.03300 (3.3 cents) or 5.16 percent over last year’s tax rate, which was $0.63980 per $100 valuation.
Additionally, Stephens County Constable Wayne McMullen, who is also the county’s fire marshal, recommended leaving the burn ban off until the next commission meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 23.
“I think we can go just a little bit down the road” before reinstating the ban, McMullen said.
Other Business
The court also approved several purchases for Precinct 4, including a new one-ton pickup truck and a bed for a one-ton pickup, as well as purchase culverts and pay for partially repaving North Parks (CR 262). However, it was later determined that because the truck bed being purchased was going to be installed on the same one-ton pickup truck the county is planning to purchase, the price of the truck and bed will need to be combined and, because it will exceed $50,000, will have to be put out for bid as one purchase, according to Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Warren.
The commissioners also approved using capital funds for paving/seal coating on County Road 241-2, in Precinct 3.
Cutline, top photo: Stephens County Treasure Kelsey Cornwall discusses the proposed 2025 county budget with commissioners during a public hearing on Monday, Sept. 16, at the Stephens County Courthouse. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the budget and the 2024 tax rate in a meeting following the hearing. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
