Denton County’s Fiscal Year 2024-2025 adopted budget earmarks an estimated $7.35 million for public safety and $4.57 million for judicial and legal while also reducing the proposed tax rate to below the current rate.
The property tax rate is dropping from the current rate of $0.189485 to a new FY 2024-2025 tax rate of $0.187869, according to a news release from Denton County.
“With rising costs and inflation hitting Denton County residents even more this past year, lowering the tax rate was again a main priority,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “Our law enforcement and criminal justice systems are of vital importance to our role as your county government. As we continue to grow, we must earmark funds to ensure we can provide safety, protection, and timely access to the justice system.”
The focus on these areas is a key part of the $416 million budget approved by the Denton County Commissioners Court on Tuesday, the county said in a statement. Other elements of the FY 2024-2025 budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1 include:
- Spending $2.7 million for Technology Services for new positions, increased software maintenance cost and technology equipment maintenance
- Earmarking $2.5 million for Capital Improvement Projects funded in the Permanent Improvement Fund and increased repairs and maintenance
- Allocating $1 million in funds for Denton County MHMR for the Crisis Residential Unit and the Substance Use Disorder Program
- Making salaries competitive to increase employee retention. Denton County ranks third lowest among the top 15 Texas counties with 1.92 employees per capita. Denton County continues to decline in the number of employees per 1,000 residents, falling from a high of 2.29 employees per 1,000 residents in 2014 to the current rate of 1.92 employees per the same number of residents. In 2023-2024, the rate was 1.94 employees per capita.
“Retention of our employees is a key strategy in continuing to be innovative in increasing services to the public while maintaining a conservative view on our tax rate,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Ryan Williams. “We want to remain competitive in salaries across the board, including in law enforcement and our justice system, to retain current employees and continue to attract the best and brightest in the years to come.”
As of now, the proposed tax rate of $0.187869 falls well below all but one of the 15 most populated Texas counties in terms of the county tax rate. Denton County ranks the second lowest in the county tax rate category and is the lowest in the county-wide rate. County-wide rates include additional tax rates for such districts as hospitals, community college, and flood control and port authority – none of which exist in Denton County. In the past 10 years, Denton has reduced the tax rate by 28%, according to the county.
“We continue to decrease our property tax rate each year, making the FY 2024-2025 tax rate the lowest it has been since 1986 – a total of 38 years,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Dianne Edmondson said.
Latest population projections show Denton County at 1,036,720 residents and growing by almost 90 people every day.
“We aim to keep the county’s tax rate as low as possible while still providing quality services in a fast-growing area,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Bobbie J. Mitchell said. “We know residents are dealing with inflation on goods and services as well as other higher costs of living and we keep them top of mind when reviewing our fiscal year budgets.”
Denton County also set aside $1.37 million in funds for road-related expenditures using a “pay as you go” system rather than issuing debt for county road projects.
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