-
(Photo/Alex Kielar) Stephens County Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fambro discusses the county’s fiscal year 2026 tax rate during the commissioners court meeting Monday, Aug. 11. The commissioners passed a tax rate of $0.665387. -
(Photo/Alex Kielar) County Treasurer Kelsey Cornwall noted that the tax rate that the county adopted puts the county $30,000 in the black, which essentially balances the budget while covering expenses for next year and not putting additional money into reserves. -
(Photo/Alex Kielar) The Stephens County Commissioners Court discussing matters with County Attorney Gary Trammel during the Monday, Aug. 11 meeting in which the court adopted its proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2026.
The Stephens County Commissioners Court voted Monday, Aug. 11, to adopt a proposed property tax rate of $0.665387 per $100 of valuation for fiscal year 2026 – slightly lower than the voter-approval rate of $0.666387 and a decrease from the current year’s rate of $0.672800.
Despite the lower rate, rising property values have enabled the county to generate approximately $230,000 in additional revenue, bringing the total taxable value to $825,686,712. County Treasurer Kelsey Cornwall confirmed the adopted rate puts the county $30,000 in the black, effectively balancing the budget without adding to reserves.
“This right here balances the budget, does nothing more than that. It doesn’t put additional money in reserves or anything,” County Judge Michael Roach said. “It basically covers our true expenses for next year.”
The adopted rate falls within the voter-approval threshold, meaning it requires only one public hearing and two publications of hearing before final adoption. Any rate above the voter-approval level would trigger additional hearings and potentially an election in November.
Commissioners clarified that the adopted rate sets a ceiling.
“If we propose this, that’s our ceiling and all we can do is go down,” Roach said. “You can certainly adopt one that’s lower than the proposed rate but not anything higher.”
The court also discussed long-term fiscal pressures.
“At some point we have to live within our means. You just can’t keep taxing, raising taxes, raising taxes,” Roach said. “There’s no more juice to squeeze. You’re squeezing out of people.”
Looking ahead, Roach suggested studying the impact of raising the county’s homestead exemption for seniors and disabled residents.
“The relief you would give from the county side would be for those folks…who live on a fixed income or some retirement income, which I think is a good thing to do,” Roach said.
