Cooke County to cut tax rate; nonprofit funding
Aug. 9—Budget season is in full swing, as Cooke County commissioners work to set new tax rates and the 2023 budget.
The commissioners court voted 5-0 Monday to set next year's county property tax at .3364 per $100 of assessed valuation, down from last year's rate of .41. A separate public hearing wasn't required under state law because the rate will go down.
Under state law, the court could have set its rate as high as .4429; however, the commissioners previously pledged to not raise new revenues in fiscal 2023.
The proposed county budget, which will get a public hearing Aug. 22, currently sits at $27.9 million, down over $2 million from FY 2022. Cutting the tax rate will require the county to spend down its fund balance — $18 million — by $6 million next year.
County Judge Steve Starnes supports the no new revenue policy, but he noted it comes with a cost.
"The public needs to be aware that we're pinching pennies and we're going to have to continue pinching pennies to support that," said Starnes.
Precinct Four Commissioner Jason Snuggs defended the court's handling of property tax rates, and shifted the blame for local taxpayer complaints onto the county's school districts.
"People call and complain about their taxes, and I tell them 'You're paying the same (county) taxes, you need to call your schools," Snuggs told his colleagues.
Precinct One Commissioner Gary Hollowell noted that drawdown of county cash on hand. He said it was incumbent that the county operate under budget wherever possible, as he says it has in recent years.
Cuts
The 2023 budget cuts funding to some local nonprofits, including Abigail's Arms and CASA. Each would receive $40,000 next year from the county, down from $50,000 annually in recent years.
Precinct Four Commissioner Leon Klement, whose term expires in early January, took some exception to those cuts. He pointed that these agencies do get funding from donation and other sources; however, they rely on help from Cooke County as well.
"You can't turn your back on somebody and tell them your goal is to keep cutting," Klement said. "Because somebody's gotta take care of them ... I don't care which side of the aisle you fall on."
Hollowell defended the funding cuts. He said those agencies were good for the community, but he doesn't think the government is responsible for them.
"I think we need to quit relying on the government, from federal on down. All that's the taxpayer (money)," Hollowell said.
Kress and Parking
The court appears ready to move on from its plans to renovate the Kress building, located on the northwest corner of the courthouse square in downtown Gainesville, as commissioners recently voted to put it on the real estate market — with a $1.5 million asking price.
The $500,000 previously budgeted to make the Kress ready for county offices was struck from next year's proposed budget; however, the court did not reveal any news about the Kress or the possible purchase of the Prosperity Bank building next to the courthouse annex. The property's assessed value is $850,000.
The court also added $200,000 into the proposed budget to pay for site work and paving for the new Main Street parking lot, to be located across from the Cooke County Library.
