Collin County’s growing population requires more services – and that translates to higher tax bills for homeowners as the county must meet budget needs for the upcoming fiscal year.

Collin County Commissioners this week approved a $531.8 million budget by a 4-1 vote, maintaining the current property tax rate of 0.149 cents per $100 of home value for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

County Judge Chris Hill was the only one to vote against the tax rate and the budget. He said he did not want to raise taxes. Although the property tax rate remained the same because the average property assessment has increased, most homeowners in Collin County will face higher tax bills.

“I will not raise taxes,” Hill said.

According to the county’s assessment district, the average home in Collin County costs $599,916. That’s 2.9% more than last year. That means the average homeowner in Collin County will likely face a higher tax bill because the taxable value of their home has increased. For the average homeowner without a property tax exemption, the county’s property tax bill will increase by $23.07.

In the past, Collin County commissioners have reduced the tax rate to the no-new-revenue rate, which lowers the tax rate to keep property tax revenues at the same level as the previous year as property values ​​rise. But the court ruled last year to keep the tax rate. That increased the average tax bill for the average Collin County homeowner without a property tax exemption by about $85.

Hill was also the only one to vote no on last year’s budget and tax rate.

Hill voted for individual items that were added to the budget proposal during budget workshops. But after seeing the total cost, he said he was against increasing the budget because it would impact the tax burden. He said the budget needed to be cut.

But Commissioner Darrel Hale said the approved tax rate and budget for this year are necessary to fund essential services.

“Before any of us even voted yes, we were facing a tax increase this year,” Hale said. “We were already in the red with our current legal obligations.”

Collin County has experienced rapid population growth in recent years. The county, which has a population of about 1.2 million, is the third fastest-growing county in the country, according to the U.S. Census. And the population boom is causing growth difficulties for several county services.

Voters in Collin County approved a $683 million bond package last year that included funds to improve county roads, expand the jail and double the size of the animal shelter. But several elected officials, including Sheriff Jim Skinner, told county commissioners during budget workshops that their departments need more.

Skinner said he needs more staff, especially at the county jail.

“We will need more employees in the future to keep pace with the population explosion,” he said.

Skinner, who called for 70 new jail guards, said in his budget request to the court earlier this month that the jail is nearly full and understaffed. The district estimates it has already spent more than $2 million on overtime this year, with much of that spending occurring at the jail.

The county currently employs nearly 300 jailers. However, 28 of those jailers are new hires who will not complete training until October. Skinner said those jailers will have to oversee 1,200 inmates. The county also has 83 other inmates housed in facilities outside the county. The jail has a capacity for 1,298 inmates.

The prison is currently undergoing an expansion, which was approved in last year’s bond vote. Skinner said the construction has increased security requirements.

“If construction workers are going to cut a hole in the wall of our prison, we have to ensure the safety of those people,” Skinner said. “If that safety is guaranteed, we’ll have officers on site 24/7, because the one thing we’re not going to do is risk an escape.”

The sheriff cited several other reasons for the increase in overtime, including more uncooperative inmates. He said the number of serious criminals in the prison has reached 92%, leading to an increase in attacks on prison guards.

Skinner said the prison needs more guards to address staffing shortages and fully staff the facility once the expansion is completed.

The sheriff hired a total of 39 corrections officers last year, with 83 new positions authorized and 44 officers vacated. That number prompted the court to approve 41 new corrections officer positions for the upcoming fiscal year. Commissioners also approved a cap on overtime spending.

Commissioner Duncan Webb proposed the overtime limit, saying the rule was necessary to protect the county’s budget.

“Once we reach the budget limit and no additional funds are available, our only option is to cut spending in the middle of the year, which will involve layoffs,” he said.

Commissioner Darrell Hale said during budget discussions that commissioners will need to keep an eye on prison staffing levels in the coming years as more people move to Collin County.

“The county continues to grow by 35,000 to 50,000 a year, and we need to start planning for the next cluster,” Hale said.

Do you have a tip? Email Caroline Love at [email protected].

Caroline Love is a Report for AmericaCorps member for KERA News.

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