Palo Pinto commissioners OK budget, tax rate
Aug. 23—PALO PINTO — Commissioners OK'd a $30.4 million budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year on Monday and set a 30.6-cent property tax to partially fund it.
The so-called no new revenue tax rate, which is 30.5908 cents per $100 property value, is just shy of 22 percent lower than this past year's 39-cent levy. It will bring property owners the same size tax bill, however, with appraisal values soaring in the growing county.
The rate will draw a $3,059 tax bill on a $100,000 home with no exemptions claimed.
County Judge Shane Long also noted the rate will draw close to $500,000 more than last year because of new property that was not on the tax roll last year. Revenue from that new property is expected to produce $318,359 of that $500,000.
The spending plan, which takes effect on Oct. 1, is led by a $16.5 million general fund, which pays for daily operations such as the sheriff's department, and by close to $3.3 million shared by the four commissioners' road and bridge departments.
Another $1.6 million will replenish a capital improvements account to almost $3.2, for large projects such as a wastewater treatment plant.
In separate but related action Monday, the court approved its juvenile justice budget for the coming fiscal year.
The state portion of the county's juvenile court operations is $218,400, and the county match is $147,500.
Commissioners also moved $35,000 from this year's contingency account into the juvenile budget, to shore up that fund after unexpected treatment expenses.
Long, who is the Juvenile Court judge and sits on the Juvenile Board, said a program he has had to sentence young offenders to enter costs $270 a day for up to six months.
"When you've got two or three of those, you can eat up thousands of dollars pretty quick," he said. "I don't have a whole lot of choice."
In other action Monday, the court:
—Agreed to pay off a $2,700 balance that animal rescue, Community Animal Rescue Effort, owed on a $5,500 bill that fixed a broken septic system. CARE volunteer Susan Wynne said the nonprofit agency has been paying $400 monthly and was challenged to make the payments and meet other responsibilities.
"We're going through 1,000 animals a year out there," she said of CARE's Mingus headquarters. "We need a vehicle desperately, we need a van. Right now, we're at double the capacity that we should be."
Wynne later said the shelter has 14 dogs in its seven kennels — plus three donkeys. CARE serves all of Palo Pinto County and also works in Hood and Comanche counties.
—Kept the county burn ban in place.
Emergency Management Coordinator Mistie Garland reported the Keetch-Byrum Drought Index rated the county at 777.
"Just keep in mind, it maxes out at 800," Garland said of the drought scale. "So, we are right there."
Garland reported 73 fire calls in July and 158 ambulance runs. She said there had been 17 or 18 fire calls during summer 2021.
"And now we're at 73," she said.
—Learned Public Works Director David McDonald has sold 125 septic system permits so far this year. The systems are the best gauge of new-home construction, though some of those are amendments to existing permits.
The number is about 20 more than all of last year, McDonald said.
—Agreed to lease the Dempsey Helipad to a British film crew with the online network, Houseproud TV. The county-owned complex just east of Palo Pinto originally was used as part of the Army Air Force's helicopter pilot training mission based at Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells.
Commissioners OK'd the request pending approval of the lease agreement by County Attorney Maegan Kostiha.
