Fannin County Commissioners Court proposes lower tax rate

Fannin County, Texas -- At a special meeting of Fannin County Commissioners Court held Wednesday, September 13, 2007, Fannin County Commissioners Court proposed lowering the county tax rate from the current 0.5900 to 0.5890 per $100 of valuated property for the upcoming fiscal year that begins October 1, 2017.

"It is a little less than it was last year and I think that is important," stated Fannin County Judge Spanky Carter. "I went around the county and talked to several groups and we told people that we could restore our courthouse without raising taxes. That's my intention as long as I am county judge."

According to figures released by the county auditor's office, the proposed lowed tax rate of 0.5890 has the Interest & Sinking Fund (county debt) factored into the equation.

"That's why we can look you in the eye and say, 'We aren't raising taxes,'" remarked Fannin County Pct. 2 Commissioner Stan Barker.

Fannin County was debt-free until taking on restoration of the courthouse. The Interest & Sinking Fund is budgeted to service the annual $300,000 payment for courthouse restoration.

When Carter won the Republican Primary in 2010, he was on his way to inheriting an adopted tax rate of .06110.

If the proposed tax rate of 0.5890 is officially adopted September 22, 2017, it will mark the fifth time in the past seven years that Fannin County Commissioners Court has lowered the county tax rate. At the same time, a strict, conservative fiscal approach allowed Fannin County Commissioners Court to dramatically improve workspace for local groups and AgriLife Extension agents by completing work on the Derrell Hall Education Center. The latest challenge was a mandate by county voters to tackle the $17.5 million restoration of the 1888 Fannin County Courthouse.

"This is the fifth time in seven years that we have lowered the tax rate and it matters to me that it is going down, not up," Carter said. "We have committed to the people of Fannin County that we will be conservative and that we will restore the courthouse without raising the tax rate."

The second public hearing regarding the proposed county tax rate will be held 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 19, 2017. The tax rate for the next fiscal year is expected to be adopted 9:00 a.m. Friday, September 22 at a special meeting of Fannin County Commissioners Court.

Here is a look at the adopted tax rate for Fannin County during the past 10 years.

Adopted Tax Rate By Year

2007 - 0.620

2008 - 0.611

2009 - 0.611

2010 - 0.611

2011 - 0.60810

2012 - 0.60510

2013 - 0.595

2014 - 0.595

2015 - 0.595

2016 - 0.590

2017 - 0.589 (proposed)