Commissioners court meetings are held inside the Smith County Courthouse Annex in downtown Tyler.

The Smith County Commissioners Court is hearing from department heads and elected officials about their needs in the coming year.

The county is holding budget workshops as it plans for the fiscal year 2026 budget. Last week, the court held its first workshop to discuss the working draft of the budget.

Additional workshops and public hearings are scheduled before the budget takes effect Oct. 1. A second budget workshop is set for Tuesday, June 17 and will be held at the end of the weekly commissioners court meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the commissioners courtroom at 200 E. Ferguson St. The public is invited to attend.

The workshop will include presentations from elected officials and department leaders.

Areas of focus

Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said the budget’s primary areas of focus this year will include cost-of-living raises for employees, rising health insurance costs, Texas Association of Counties’ insurance rate increases, inmate medical and food costs in the jail, and raising county court-at-law and district judges’ salaries imposed by the Texas Legislature.

“We’ve had a lot of requests this year for full-time employees and new vehicles and equipment… We have several things we must do,” he said, adding that one of his top priorities is taking care of employees already working for Smith County by giving them a cost-of-living increase and helping as much as possible with health insurance.

Department requests

Smith County Budget Officer Kari Perkins provided a detailed view of the working draft budget, including all requests made by elected officials and department leaders.

A total of 77 new employees were requested by 17 departments.

Requests include 21 for the sheriff’s office (19 of those for courthouse security), in addition to four for the jail and one for dispatch; 15 for facility services; nine for road and bridge; five for information technology; four for district clerk; three each for district attorney and fire marshal; two each for treasurer, tax office, animal control, and Constable Precinct 4; and one new position each for human resources, indigent defense, purchasing, and judicial compliance/collections.

Various departments requested 37 new vehicles, including 17 for the sheriff’s office, two for the jail, six for road and bridge, five for facility services, two for Constable Precinct 4, and one each for district attorney, animal control, and Constable Precincts 1, 2, and 3.

The total cost of the requests is $9,789,494.86, which includes $5,622,518.86 for new positions with fringe benefits, $2,817,476 for vehicles, and $1,309,500 for capital expenditures. This total does not include any salary adjustments.

“Once we have the budget hearings with the elected officials and department heads, I will start working on a recommended budget that balances,” Perkins said.

Up next

Beyond Tuesday’s workshop, a third budget workshop is set for June 24 at the commissioners courtroom after the 9:30 a.m. weekly meeting. Public service agency presentations are set for July 8.

Public hearings for the proposed budget and tax rate will be held before the commissioners court votes on the proposed budget and tax rate Sept. 9.

Other items on Tuesday’s agenda

Prior to the budget workshop set at the end of commissioners court Tuesday morning, the commissioners are also expected to receive input from the public during a public hearing regarding an amendment to the county tax abatement policy. The court will also:

• Consider and take action adopting a resolution proclaiming June as Elder Abuse Prevention Month in the county

• Receive a presentation on the county’s liability and property coverage renewal

• Consider transferring a vehicle to the animal control department

• Consider the advertisement and receipt of sealed bids for on-site sewage facilities

• Consider and reappoint four board members to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Board Nos. 3 and 4 for a two-year term

• Consider and take action on an auto claim settlement

• Consider and take action to approve an amendment and change order in addition to an amendment to an agreement related to the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center based in Tyler

• Consider and take necessary action to accept a construction contract for improvements to County Road 411, execute a change order and authorize final payment

• Consider and take action to accept the roadways of Arbor Estates, Phase 3 into the road maintenance system

• Consider and take action to award a contract for managing bank depositories

• Consider and take action to authorize the sheriff’s office to apply for a COPS Grant for Hiring, provided by the Department of Justice, which allows law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire additional officers to increase their policing capacity and crime prevention efforts

• Consider and take action for a re-plat in the William Short subdivision

• Consider and take action to approve/ratify payment of accounts, bills, payroll, fund transfers, amendments and health claims.

Items on the executive (closed) session agenda include deliberation and consultation with the county attorney regarding:

• Neches & Trinity Valley Groundwater Conservation District water well applications

• Texas Tax Code Chapter 312 tax abatement guidelines and criteria and discussion regarding commercial or financial offers, incentives or information within Smith County and the downtown area.

Open session will return following the executive meeting which will include possible action items of:

• Consider the authorization for Judge Franklin to file a notice of contest of well permit applications within the Neches & Trinity Valley Groundwater Conservation District

• Consider the approval and amendment of the tax abatement policy

The budget workshop will take up the rest of the court’s meeting.