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Henderson County, TexasAuthor: Henderson County, Texas
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County Report: Commissioners approve budget, tax rate
Wednesday, 8 September, 2021
This interview was recorded Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the Henderson County Courthouse Annex. == Henderson County Commissioners Court approved the tax rate and 2022 budget Tuesday morning. Henderson County Judge Wade McKinney discussed the budget and provided a COVID-19 update in this week's County Report. I. Budget and Tax Rate (:28) Tuesday, Henderson County Commissioners approved the 2022 budget of $46,723,499. They also approved the a tax rate of .446487 per $100 valuation. That tax rate is .0156 -- or about a penny and a half -- lower than last year. "We keep our rate flat and steady to better serve the public," said Judge McKinney. Commissioners Court did look to add funding to law enforcement during this budget cycle. "Not only investing in facilities but also investing in the personnel," said Judge McKinney. The new budget calls for nearly $1.8 million in additional spending at the Sheriff's Office by adding two new investigators, two new deputies, and four jailors as well as increased pay for current employees. The additional money is to help retain good officers in Henderson County and to make becoming a peace officer more attractive. The County will also be investing money into the facility, particularly the jail. "To have quality law enforcement, quality facilities, you have to make these investments," Judge McKinney said. In addition, Commissioners approved adding a crime victims coordinator to the Henderson County District Attorney's Office. II. COVID-19 Update (18:34) COVID-19 statistics continue to go up across the board in the region that includes Henderson County. Testing, hospitalizations, and fatalities are all on the rise. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in our region went over 800 patients for the first time this past weekend. (Henderson County is part of Trauma Service Area G (TSA-G), which serves Tyler/Longview and includes about 968,000 people.) "It's really never been higher," Judge McKinney said. The one bright spot is that vaccinations have stayed steady with more than 1,000 shots given each week in Henderson County over the past six weeks.
