The El Paso Commissioners Court approved its budget for fiscal year 2027.
The budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins in October, was approved during the commissioners' session on Monday, Sept. 14. The county's budget is $540,717,580, a $45.231 million increase over the previous fiscal year.
The new budget maintains the "No-New-Revenue" rate, which means that some homeowners will not see their taxes increase if their home values do not increase. However, homeowners whose property values increased will likely see higher tax bills.
The new budget will include an increase in funding for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, which has seen an increase in costs.
It also includes a cost-of-living increase for county employees and sets the county minimum wage at $16 per hour.
Precinct 2 Commissioner David Stout said in a statement after the budget's approval that the increases are related to state funding requirements.
“I have said it before, and I will say it again: Budgeting becomes increasingly challenging each year, largely because of unfunded state mandates," Stout said. "These are programs and services the Texas Legislature requires the county to provide without supplying sufficient funding, leaving local taxpayers to pick up the tab. Mandated responsibilities account for nearly 70% of our budget, and that burden has increased by approximately $70 million over the past five years."
Stout will be ending his tenure on the court in January 2027 after losing his reelection campaign in the March 2026 primaries.
Jeff Abbott covers the border for the El Paso Times and can be reached at:jdabbott@usatodayco.com; @palabrasdeabajo on Twitter or @palabrasdeabajo.bsky.social on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso County approves 2027 budget, meaning relief for some taxpayers
