Tarrant County鈥檚 2024 budget passed Tuesday with some last-minute changes prompted by Republican commissioners.
County Judge Tim O鈥橦are, and Commissioners Gary Fickes and Manny Ramirez voted against the staff-recommended budget.
The disagreement was over the precinct鈥檚 budgets managed by each county commissioner under the road and bridge fund. Commissioners are responsible for building and within their precinct in unincorporated areas of the county.
Precinct 1, which includes southwest Tarrant County, represented by Roy C. Brooks, was slated to receive about $1.5 million to fund community projects in 2024. Most other precincts were slated to receive between $25,000 and $150,000.
O鈥橦are opposes one precinct receiving significantly more funding than others, he said.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an unfair system,鈥� O鈥橦are said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 how it should go.鈥�
The budget initially passed, then commissioners returned to re-vote on the budget. It failed the second time around, before O鈥橦are moved to limit funding for community projects to $50,000 annually. That motion, and the budget, then passed 4-1, with Commissioner Alisa Simmons voting against.
After the flurry of votes subsided on Tuesday, Tarrant County approved its most significant tax rate cut in decades. The county鈥檚 budget contracted by about $8 million compared with the previous year鈥檚; cuts to several departments achieved the county鈥檚 lowest tax rate in at least a decade.
The county also approved 3% pay raises for most elected officials. Under the new raises, County Judge Tim O鈥橦are鈥檚 annual salary will increase from $211,895.32 to $217,952.28. Salaries for commissioners will jump from $201,895.20 to $207,952.16.
The $896.6 million budget goes into effect Oct. 1. The county entered into the budgeting process with cuts in mind, Helen Giese, director of budget and risk management, said.
鈥淚t was just a matter of five-dollaring it to death all over the place,鈥� Giese previously told the Report.
Following significant turnover on the Commissioners Court after the 2022 election, providing property tax relief was a major priority for new members. While campaigning, O鈥橦are said he would strive for a to the county鈥檚 tax rate. The approved rate falls just 1 cent short.
Commissioners also voted to adopt a new 10% homestead exemption. The exemption will cost the county $28 million to $30 million in revenue and provide the average homeowner $34 in annual savings.
Property owners will pay 19.45 cents per every $100 of valuation, a 3-cent reduction from the current tax rate. That means the county will collect about $16.3 million, or 3% less property tax revenue in fiscal year 2024 than it did in 2023.
Fort Worth鈥檚 average homeowner would pay $399.48 in taxes to the county, with the county鈥檚 10% homestead exemption.
The Commissioners Court may have to set aside future budget lines to pay back the federal government, public commenters said. Jackee Cox and Lydia Bean said commissioners鈥� to spend millions in federal funds to send Tarrant County inmates to a private prison and build a law enforcement training center could violate federal guidance.
鈥淯pon close examination, it appears that both of these uses deviate from permissible uses of state and local fiscal recovery funds,鈥� Bean said.
The budget will be long-time county administrator G.K. Maenius鈥� last with the county and Tuesday was his last meeting.
Despite the smaller budget, the county plans to add 21 new positions, including two more autopsy technicians in the medical examiner鈥檚 office and two new mental health therapists in juvenile services.
The county鈥檚 tax cuts, along with smaller tax rates at the city of Fort Worth, , and JPS, mean Tarrant County property owners likely will see a smaller property tax bill next year.
鈥淎 lot of times, people talk about tax cuts, and then when you get your bill, you actually look at it, and your tax bill is higher than it was before, which doesn鈥檛 seem a whole lot like a tax cut,鈥� O鈥橦are said at a recent state of the county speech, where he celebrated the tax cuts.
Rachel Behrndt is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at or via . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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