.jpg)
Approve tax rate increase, burn ban continuance
COLUMBUS — Colorado County Commissioners Court adopted a tax rate increase and its budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year and approved to continue the burn ban, Tuesday, Sept. 8.
CORRECTION: Last week’s issue ran a story titled “County proposes tax rate decrease, budget” that incorrectly labeled the proposed 2026-2027 tax rate for the county as a decrease. The proposed rate is an increase. The story also listed the hearing on Sept. 8 as inaccurately on Monday instead of Tuesday. The Citizen regrets these errors and thanks reader Mark Davis for bringing them to our attention.
Deficit budget, tax rate
The court approved the voter- approval tax rate of $0.466417 per $100 of property value for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 0.32% from last year’s rate of $0.464918. The voter-approval tax rate is the highest tax rate a taxing entity can adopt without holding an election.
The proposed budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $1,320.451 or 7.39%, and of that amount $649,336 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year.
The budget is split between the general fund, roads and bridges, special funds, and debt service. The general fund budget of $23.2 million is estimated to have a $2.25 million deficit. The road and bridge budget of $5.5 million is estimated to have a $786,435 surplus. The special funds budget of $633,691 is estimated to have a $96,072 deficit.
County Judge Ty Prause and other commissioners voiced concerns over adopting a deficit budget. Pct. 2 Commissioner Ryan Brandt said the county adopted deficit budgets before Prause’s tenure but did not have expenses accelerating this quickly. Brandt said the county had covered the deficit in previous years by receiving more revenue, but that changed in 2024 when inflation spiked.
“Anything that is not a need in this fiscal year, we better conserve it as best we can,” Prause said. “... Rural counties are battling right now for survival because we have the growth coming and growing pains and we have to provide
BUDGET, 14 “Rural counties are battling right now for survival because we have the growth coming and growing pains and we have to provide these services.”
—County Judge Ty Prause these services.”
The court discussed that the county’s tax base is not growing proportional to the increase in expenses. Prause said the county cannot continue pulling money from its reserve fund and risk dipping below the standard of fourth months of operating expenses.
“There are a few ways to approach it net year, none of which are very easy,” Prause said. “Let me be perfectly clear, we will fix this one way or another next year.”
Officials suggested slashing budgets by 8-10%, starting with a zero-base budget and advocating for legal change to the state’s 3.5% cap on increased revenue collection.
The public can view the adopted budget at the county clerk’s office at the Colorado County Annex, 318 Spring St., Columbus, or on the county’s website at co.colorado.tx.us/.
Burn ban
County Judge Ty Prause issued an emergency burn ban Aug. 21 that would last for seven days unless authorized by the Commissioners Court to continue. Prause reissued the order Sept. 4 to cover the weekend gap before the court’s meeting on Sept. 8.
The court voted to approve its continuance. Commissioners commented that recent rainfall has not significantly changed the ongoing “hot and very dry” conditions.
