County Commissioners adopt budget, tax rate and service fees
By Anthony Collins
LPR Editor
Caldwell County Commissioners covered a lot of ground during their Sept. 10 meeting, approving the county’s new budget and tax rate while also taking action on sheriff and constable fees, veterans assistance, the burn ban, legal services, county office space and a new county website.
Commissioners approved a total property tax rate of $0.4391 per $100 of taxable value, keeping the overall rate at 43.91 cents for the second straight year. Of that amount, $0.3594 will go toward maintenance and operations, $0.0001 will go to the farm-to-market road fund, and $0.0796 will go toward principal and interest on county debt. While the tax rate itself is not increasing, that does not necessarily mean a homeowner’s county tax bill will stay the same. Property values and exemptions also play a role in the final amount owed, and the county tax is only one part of a property owner’s overall bill.
Commissioners also adopted the fiscal year 2026-27 budget. A budget worksheet prepared ahead of the meeting showed about $45.04 million in proposed General Fund spending, compared with roughly $36.99 million in the current fiscal year. The proposal included about $31.5 million in current property tax revenue and around $4 million in county sales tax revenue. The Unit Road Fund was projected at approximately $7.07 million, up from about $6.51 million in the current budget. The final adopted budget is expected to provide a more complete breakdown once the county posts the full document.
Public safety continues to account for a large share of county spending. Budget documents prepared before the final vote included about $6 million for the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, compared with roughly $4.75 million in the current budget. The county jail was budgeted at about $6.64 million, compared with approximately $6.06 million this year. The Sheriff’s Office budget also included around $576,000 for machinery and equipment. Funding was also included for all four constable offices, with approximately $465,077 for Precinct 1, $380,580 for Precinct 2, $469,218 for Precinct 3, and $806,023 for Precinct 4. Those amounts include salaries, benefits, operating costs, and other department expenses.
Commissioners also approved the 2027 Sheriff and Constable Service Fee schedule, which takes effect Jan. 1. These fees apply to civil court services handled by the Sheriff’s Office and county constables and are separate from property taxes or criminal fines. Under the new schedule, serving citations, tax citations, small-claims citations, eviction citations, subpoenas, and summonses will generally cost $90. Writs of possession, re-entry, and restoration of utility service are set at $250. Writs of attachment, sequestration and execution, along with orders of sale and distress warrants, are also $250. If certain services take longer than two hours, an additional charge of $60 per hour, per deputy, can be added.
Other civil-service fees include $150 for writs of garnishment, habeas corpus, scire facias and retrieval, along with tax warrants, temporary restraining orders, injunctions and turnover orders. A deed or bill of sale is $50, while posting a public notice is also $50. When money is collected through a writ of execution or order of sale, the county receives a 10 percent commission on the first $20,000 and 5 percent on amounts above that. The fee schedule also includes livestock impoundment charges, with an $85 fee for cattle, horses, and exotic animals and a $50 fee for goats, sheep, and swine. Daily care costs are $15 per head for cattle and horses and $10 for goats, sheep, and swine.
Veterans in Caldwell County also received some good news during the meeting. Veteran Services Officer Sara Love announced that the county’s Vets First grant through the Texas Veterans Commission had been funded for a second year. Love presented a $100,000 check, which commissioners voted to accept. The grant can be used to help qualifying veterans and their families with expenses such as overdue utility bills, rent, mortgage payments, vehicle payments, groceries, gas, and vehicle repairs.
Commissioners made a different decision on another $100,000 grant, voting to decline a fiscal year 2027 Operation Lone Star award from the Office of the Governor after county officials learned the funding had been placed on hold. The county originally applied for money to purchase five mobile trailers equipped with license plate reader cameras, with plans to provide one trailer to each of the county’s four constable offices and one to the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office. The award, however, was reduced to $100,000, enough to purchase four trailers, which also would have left the county with the decision of which agencies would receive them.
County staff recommended declining the grant because of the uncertainty surrounding the funding and concerns that accepting the award and later backing out could potentially hurt the county’s chances of receiving future grants through the Governor’s Office. Caldwell County Precinct 2 Constable Paul Easterling disagreed with walking away from the funding and encouraged commissioners to leave the door open while the state works through the issue. “I don’t know what the benefit or what the downside of waiting would be,” Easterling told commissioners. “If it comes through, it comes through, then we can discuss implementing it.”
Easterling said there was still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the grant and argued that the county should give the situation time to become clearer rather than ending the process immediately. “There’s a lot of misinformation out there right now, and it takes time to clear that up,” Easterling said. “Otherwise, you’re just killing it before you have a chance to get it cleared up.” Despite Easterling’s concerns, commissioners followed the staff recommendation. Commissioner Wes Moreland made the motion to decline the grant, Commissioner Thomas seconded the motion, and the motion passed without opposition.
The countywide burn ban was also extended for another two weeks as dry conditions continue across Caldwell County. Officials have been watching drought conditions and wildfire danger while waiting for enough rainfall to improve conditions. The burn ban limits most outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of the county.
Commissioners also approved hiring attorney Mark Kennedy to handle civil legal matters for the county while officials continue looking for a permanent in-house civil attorney. The move gives the county legal help with contracts, government issues, and other civil matters while the position remains open.
The county is also planning a change to its website. Commissioners agreed to move away from the current setup and work toward an internally built official county website. County officials believe the change will give them more flexibility, make it easier to meet accessibility requirements, and help avoid rising costs tied to an outside vendor.
Another item involved the possible purchase of additional county office space in Lockhart. Commissioners authorized County Judge Hoppy Haden to sign a commercial letter of intent involving about 0.62 acres at 215 Bufkin Lane. The property includes an existing building that could be used for county offices. The action does not mean the county has purchased the property, but it allows officials to continue exploring the deal.
The Sept. 10 meeting may have covered a long list of county business, but many of the decisions will eventually be felt by residents in one way or another. The new budget lays out where county money will go, the tax rate helps determine what property owners will pay, and the updated sheriff and constable fees will affect those using certain civil court services. At the same time, commissioners are trying to keep up with the needs that come with a growing county, from roads and public safety to office space and everyday services.
The Operation Lone Star discussion was also a good example of how some decisions are not always clear-cut. County staff felt declining the grant was the safest move with the funding on hold, while Precinct 2 Constable Paul Easterling believed there was no harm in waiting to see what happened. Commissioners ultimately chose to move on without the grant. With Caldwell County continuing to grow, choices like these are likely to become more common as county leaders try to balance new needs, available funding, and the cost to taxpayers.
