By ALIN HETT
Hays Post
After months of budget discussions and nearly $800,000 in reductions, Ellis County commissioners and Darin Myers, county administrator, have pushed the proposed 2027 county budget below the current year's spending level.
The fourth and final draft reviewed Tuesday calls for $34,696,835 in General Fund expenses, $79,173 less than the $34,776,008 budgeted for 2026.
The change comes one week after commissioners reviewed the third draft, which remained $5,221 above the 2026 budget. The final drafts represent an $84,394 swing as commissioners and Myers continued looking for ways to reduce spending while maintaining county services.
To view the Commissioners review of the third draft of the 2027 budget, click here.
Myers said the final draft includes the changes discussed during previous commission meetings, along with additional reductions that allowed the proposed budget to fall below the 2026 level.
The commission's work included reductions to several areas of the General Fund while also accounting for increased costs, changes in revenue and planned spending. The final budget documents list the following changes:
- Estimated 7% increase in health insurance premiums.
- Estimated 8% increase in property, vehicle and liability insurance with KCAMP.
- Court-appointed attorney salary increases for the second year, pushed back to April 2027.
- Bond payments paid from reserves, which are not impacting 2027 or future tax levels.
- Decrease of $300,000 in interest revenue.
- Removal of $425,865 in oil and gas depletion revenue.
- Salary adjustments pushed back three months for step adjustments and cost-of-living adjustments.
- $50,000 ACCESS Transportation funding allocation pending the results of the task force.
- Other requested amounts for outside agency funding.
- Two additional detention officer positions beginning in April and October, offset by fingerprint and municipal court inmate fee revenues.
- $200,000 reduction to the Public Works budget.
- 10% decrease in all budgeted transfers to reserves.
- $285,000 reduction to the Special Highway Fund.
- Removal of RePath software for the courts. Partial funding could come from the state, with the remaining amount potentially paid through opioid settlement funds.
- Removal of additional uniform expenses in the Sheriff's budget.
- $200,000 increase in sales tax transfers to the General Fund.
The reductions followed several rounds of budget workshops involving county departments and elected officials. Myers previously told commissioners nearly $800,000 had been removed from the spending requests presented earlier in the process.
The final push came after the third draft remained slightly above the 2026 spending level. Myers said before Tuesday's meeting he would find additional reductions if necessary to meet the commission's goal.
"If the true goal of the commission is to get us just under what the 2026 budget is, I will find a way to cut somewhere," Myers said during last week's meeting.
The final proposal also reflects increased revenue in some areas. Myers said General Fund revenues are projected to be more than $700,000 higher in 2027, primarily because of additional revenue identified by the Sheriff's Office from municipal court fees and housing inmates, along with additional sales tax transfers into the General Fund.
The proposed General Fund mill levy is estimated at 38.968 mills, compared with 38.118 mills in 2026. Myers said the change is tied to changes in property valuations and the removal of oil and gas depletion revenue from the budget.
“The budgeted dollar amount is just about $80,000 less than we are for this year, so that is a budget cut from next year to this year," Myers said. “However, the mill levy does increase even though our budget decreases. That's due to the valuation of the county. Essentially, the rural part, anything outside of Hays, Ellis and Victoria, valuation decreased overall. But over everything in the entire county, valuations only increased by 0.2 percent.”
The total estimated assessed valuation for the rural portion of Ellis County decreased 4.5%, while the overall county valuation increased about 0.2%.
The Fire District budget remains largely unchanged from 2026. Proposed 2027 budget expenses total $893,477, compared with $892,262 in 2026, an increase of $1,215. The estimated Fire District mill levy increases from 3.924 mills to 4.112 mills.
Myers said the Fire District relies more heavily on oil and gas valuations than other county funds, and the decrease in rural assessed valuation affects the mill levy calculation. Reserve funding remains included as part of the Fire Department's capital plan.
The Solid Waste budget is projected to increase from $1,576,410 in expenses in 2026 to $2,220,461 in 2027. Unlike the General Fund and Fire District, the Solid Waste Fund is not supported by property tax dollars and instead receives revenue from people who use the facility.
The larger Solid Waste budget includes planned expansion on the north side of the transfer station, replacement of the current transfer station floor and a backhoe replacement.
Detailed budget spreadsheets and exact figures for the General Fund, Fire District and Solid Waste Fund are available in the meeting agenda.
To view the agenda and the exact figures on the spreadsheets, click here.
The final steps in the budget process will come Aug. 18, when commissioners are expected to authorize publication of the proposed 2027 budget.
The county will then hold its revenue-neutral rate and budget hearing before commissioners consider adoption of the final 2027 budget Sept. 8.