EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Monday morning, El Paso County commissioners started budget hearings for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The proposed budget could include a tax increase for El Pasoans.
Aug. 3, commissioners voted to use the voter-approved tax rate as a budget ceiling for the current proposal. That tax rate is $0.504717 per $100 of taxable value for tax year 2026.
In addition to the county’s voter-approved tax rate, the proposed rate consists of a maintenance and operations rate of $0.441718 and an interest and sinking rate of $0.062999 per $100 of taxable value.
Commissioners are considering a $542 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2027.
The commissioners court hasn’t adopted a property tax rate. In a news release, it said it may adopt a lower rate, which it has done before.
During the hearings, the commissioners court looked into proposed programs, services, projects and the effect of the budget and tax rate on taxpayers.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said, “If we got to a point that it was between increasing taxes and lowering the quality of public services, there’s no doubt that you would never put the community in any difficult situation because you’re trying not to increase taxes or you’re not trying to pass on the taxes to a constituent.”
The county is expecting to be over budget for the sheriff’s department this year, which could result in lower wages for other departments.
“We know how sensitive the community is about increasing taxes. So that’s going to be our ultimate goal is that that doesn’t happen,” Samaniego said. “We’re looking at everything possible to make sure that we don’t go out to the community and increase the taxes.”
ABC-7 reached out to Republican Minerva Sheldon’s campaign for comment on the budget hearings. She is running against Samaniego for El Paso County Court in the November election. Her campaign did not respond.
Public hearings for the budget will continue next week on Aug. 17 and later on Sept. 14.