Bowie County’s proposed budget would include employee raises

NEW BOSTON, Texas—Bowie County officials are proposing a budget for next year that will include an across-the-board 3 percent employee salary hike in addition to paying off some capital improvements and building repairs.

During Monday’s meeting, their last for this month, county commissioners opened their session by first holding a Fiscal Year 2018-19 public hearing, where residents voiced no opposition or questions.

Commissioners briefly combed through the 76-page proposed budget, which must be approved by Sept. 30, to take effect Oct. 1.

If the proposed budget gets approved, Bowie County Auditor William Tye said the employee pay raise will be the first in two years.

For next fiscal year, county officials are looking at an overall budget that projects $34.9 million in expenditures. This budget is also forecast to finish out next year with a slightly more than $500,000 deficit, but Tye said this amount could be balanced and closed before the year ends by making lineitem budget adjustments throughout next year. There is also discretionary money set aside that could help. Last year, commissioners approved a roughly $32.5 million budget.

Besides the salary increases, Bowie County Judge James Carlow said the proposed budget will also include continued payments for new roofing recently placed on the county’s 33-year-old courthouse and on the county’s downtown Texarkana office on Main Street.

Some of the county’s major operations and maintenance expenditures include slightly more than $11 million to operate the Bowie County Correctional Center, $3.4 million for the Sheriff’s Office, more than $2.2 million set aside for miscellaneous funds, nearly $1.8 million for operating Bowie County’s portion of the Bi-State Justice Center building and jail, nearly $1.7 million for the District Attorney’s Office, $1.3 million for commissioner Precinct 4 and $1.1 million for commissioner Precinct 3.

Other offices include: $756,274 for the District Clerk’s Office, $749,163 for the Public Defenders Office, $707,864 for Juvenile Probation Office, $578,460 for commissioner Precinct 1, $565,916 for commissioner Precinct 2, $537, 544 for the Tax AssessorCollector’s Office, $393,343 for the Auditor’s Office, $348,698 for the Bowie County Courtat-Law, $338,35 for the County Clerk’s Office, $260,952 for the Elections Administration Office, $163,279 for the Treasurer’s Office, $145,874 for the Bowie County Emergency Management office, $99,653 for the Fines and Collections office, $75,344 for the Veterans Service office and $72,649 for the Purchasing office.