Historical Tax Revenue Variances and Prospective Audit
Ellis County
Summary
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
- Total mentions
- 7
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Sep 1, 2026.
Impact analysis
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.
Mentions & discussions (11)
Commissioners Court - Sep 1, 2026
County officials discussed findings that past budgets underestimated tax revenues by millions and reviewed plans to hire an outside firm for a forensic audit.
Ellis County Commissioners Court Agenda - Sep 16, 2025
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.
Ellis County Commissioners Court Agenda - Sep 2, 2025
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.
Special Commissioners Court - Aug 25, 2025
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.
Ellis County Commissioners Court Agenda - Aug 5, 2025
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.
Ellis County Commissioners Court Agenda - Jul 22, 2025
The county proposed a 3% cost-of-living raise for elected officials and staff, alongside state-mandated judicial pay increases and sheriff salary adjustments.
Ellis County Commissioners Court Agenda - Jun 24, 2025
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.
Is Ellis County missing $20-million? | Ellis County Press
ELLIS COUNTY – There is a $20 million question mark in Ellis County. It appears to have risen to the surface during the contentious current new fiscal year budget conversations. And while there is much speculation and talk by those in the know, those who want to be in the know and those who are trying to determine the know, currently there are no real answers. At last week’s Ellis County Commissioners Court many concerned spoke on the topic. At least one resident I spoke to, Randy Bellomy, suggested a forensic audit.
EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Ellis County Judge John Wray pulls back curtain on county’s missing $20M | Ellis County Press
WAXAHACHIE – I recently sat down with Ellis County Judge John Wray to discuss the recently passed country budget, the missing $20M, and what he has done to create some cohesiveness overall. Ellis County Press: How did the budget questions and missing money begin? Judge John Wray: I arrived at this job at the beginning of last year’s budget season, and I could tell it was off. The process was off. It was highly concentrated with one person, and I was having trouble getting good information about the process.
ELLIS COUNTY’S BUDGET: More money, more government, more questions | Ellis County Press
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.
Ellis County Judge John Wray’s letter to the citizens of Ellis County concerning the $20-million in revenue that is currently unaccounted for | Ellis County Press
Office of the County Judge John Wray August 27, 2026 Citizens of Ellis County, As stated during our most recent Commissioners Court meeting, discrepancies were identified in the tax revenue estimate used for the current county budget. Following the results of the examination conducted by Ellis County’s external audit firm in April, our internal team went back and reviewed past adopted budgets and the tax revenue figures associated with them.
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