Commissioners are reviewing recommended budget scenarios before choosing a proposed budget to adopt for the 2026 fiscal year.
Inflation and losing funds from the COVID bailout American Rescue Plan Act grant will impact county operations, Commissioner Andy Sommerman said.
"Those are basically the two biggest buckets that caused this $29 million increase because we have inflation despite what our president says."
Of that nearly $30 million dollars, $17.5 million would go toward cost of living salary adjustments.
The county's budget staff presented ways to balance cuts with necessary expenses, possibly getting help from a tax rate increase.
Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins says it's a good time to review whether money is being well-spent.
"The opportunity for '26 is we look at all these things similar to the way a family would look at their budget," he said. "We may find $20 million of things that we don't need anymore. And we may find that there are $20 million of the things that the people would benefit from. And there's that cost shift, similar to a family. But we haven't really done that since 2010 and 11. And so there's an opportunity, I think, to do that now, to really look at each department and see — are there computer programs that nobody uses anymore."
Departments county-wide will be required to submit justifications and metrics and essential travel plans.
Commissioners plan to also review facilities maintenance and improvements, replacing county vehicles, and homelessness and mental health programs.
The proposed tax rate is $0.222188 per $100.
The 86th Texas Legislature modified how the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes throughout the state.
A public hearing on the proposed tax rate will be at 10 a.m. Sept. 2 at the Records Building in the second floor courtroom, 500 Elm Street in Dallas.
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