The Commissioners Court approved Monday the proposed tax rate for the next tax year as 54.4 cents per 100 dollars value. This represents no change for county tax payers. The Court can lower the tax rate from the proposed tax rate of 54.4 cents, but it cannot raise it above that amount when it approves the effective tax rate in September.
Commissioner Jody Crump is confident that not raising taxes this year will fit the county’s proposed budget. Crump pointed out with the new members of the Commissioners Court the county has done a better job of cutting the budget and will actually have a four million dollar surplus at the end of this tax year. Even with all the capital outlay requests made by department heads for next fiscal in the budget, Crump said he thinks the court can make this budget work without raising taxes.
The Commissioners set two public hearings on the proposed tax rate. The first will be Monday, August 31, at 1:30 PM prior to the regularly scheduled Commissioners Court meeting that day. The second will be Thursday, September 10, at 6:00 PM. Both hearings will be in the Commissioners Courtroom.
Commissioners approved Monday the purchase of security cameras for the Orange County Airport. Airport Supervisor Missy Pillsbury said the items have been in her budget for a while. The cameras and their installation will be paid for partially from a grant by the Routine Airport Maintenance Program.
Commissioners approved the recommendation of Social Services Director Jennifer Haney to establish the income level of 49 percent of the Federal Poverty Level for persons to be eligible for the Orange County Indigent Health Care Program. The income level for the past five years has been 49 percent.
The Court declared certain substance abuse treatment services to be professional medical services and not requiring the county going out for bids for the services. Adult Probation Director Jayme Culbertson requested the services be declared medical in nature, and County Attorney Doug Manning having investigated the process in other counties gave his legal opinion that the services are primarily medical in nature.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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