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Ellis County
Ellis County is looking to bump up property taxes by 12% to fund a larger government footprint. It’s a controversial move, and officials are asking residents to weigh in before the budget is locked in.
At a glance
Rising — being discussed more frequently. 2 mentions in the last 30 days.
Generates $90,239,349 in total revenue, reflecting a $7 million revenue increase from growth.
County residents and property owners, who will see no increase in the county's tax rate while funding county services and road maintenance.
Taxpayers face higher total tax bills due to rising property values despite a flat tax rate.
County officials discussed findings that past budgets underestimated tax revenues by millions and reviewed plans to hire an outside firm for a forensic audit.
The county is investigating potential accounting errors after discovering millions in unaccounted-for tax revenue. The Judge is pushing for a deep-dive audit to ensure taxpayer money is tracked correctly.
The county adopted a $199 million budget and kept the tax rate flat at $0.273992, balancing public needs with property tax concerns while accounting for building project overages.
The county set the mandatory payment rate at 6% for local hospitals participating in the healthcare funding program that brings in federal Medicaid matching dollars for uncompensated care.
The county is proposing to keep the property tax rate flat at roughly 27.4 cents per $100 of value, which will bring in about $90.2 million in total revenue—over $7 million more than last year due to property value growth.
The county presented its $117.5M proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, keeping the tax rate flat at $0.273992 while addressing massive population growth, infrastructure demands, and capital facilities like new court and office spaces.
County officials reviewed ongoing budget preparations for fiscal year 2026, working to balance increased service demands with conservative property tax rates. A proposed budget will be posted online for public review on August 11.
The county proposed a 3% cost-of-living raise for elected officials and staff, alongside state-mandated judicial pay increases and sheriff salary adjustments.
The county is facing $15.7 million in new spending requests but only expects about $8.4 million in new revenue. This means commissioners will have to make some tough choices before the budget is finalized in August.
WAXAHACHIE – Strong opinions have been voiced over the past few weeks regarding Ellis’s County’s recently released proposed new fiscal year budget. The county says growth requires more spending; critics say the budget creates more government than necessary. Ellis County GOP held a special meeting this past Saturday discussing the proposed county budget and tax implications. While the county commissioners could not be in attendance due to potential violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Ellis County Judge John Wray was in attendance.
Allows for denser development standards.
Adds 25 homes reliant on Bent Trail, prompting resident concerns regarding traffic congestion and single-access safety.
Secures infrastructure construction for a 32-lot private subdivision.
Addresses historical unpaved road conditions on Granary Road while allowing 16 new lots to move forward.
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