El Paso County Commissioners Court holds public hearing on budget, tax increase

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.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office released a statement responding to the projected budget shortfall:

“In response to reports regarding the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office’s projected budget shortfall, I want to provide the people of El Paso County with information about what is driving it and what we are doing to address it.

First, this is a projected year-end shortfall, not the amount the Sheriff’s Office is currently over budget. It is based on current spending and estimated costs through September 30, and that number can change.

A significant part of the projection is related to overtime and staffing. The Sheriff’s Office operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including two detention facilities that must be safely staffed around the clock while we continue providing law enforcement services throughout our areas of responsibility. When we do not have enough employees available to meet required staffing levels, overtime becomes necessary.

The reality is that providing effective public safety services requires substantial resources and carries significant costs. Operating detention facilities, putting deputies on our streets, investigating crimes, responding to emergencies, training our employees, and maintaining the equipment necessary to serve our community require significant resources. But every taxpayer dollar must also be justified and spent responsibly.

Since taking office, I have raised concerns about whether our authorized staffing levels reflect the actual needs of today's Sheriff’s Office. That is why we are requesting a professional, independent staffing assessment of our detention and law enforcement operations. I want the data to tell us what we actually need—whether that means additional staffing or identifying areas where we can operate more efficiently.

We are also working closely with Commissioners Court, County Administration, and the County Budget Team to control expenses and reduce overtime wherever it can safely be reduced. But simply cutting overtime without addressing why it is necessary is not a long-term solution. I will not compromise the safety of our employees or our community simply to make a number on a spreadsheet look better.

I care deeply about the men and women of this Sheriff’s Office. Since taking office, we have reduced vacancies, improved retention, and worked to strengthen employee morale by showing our employees that they are valued and supported. Taking care of our employees is not separate from taking care of our community—it directly impacts the quality of public safety services we provide.

And we are seeing results. During my first year as Sheriff, crime in our areas of responsibility decreased by 14 percent. I am proud of that accomplishment, but the credit belongs to the men and women who serve this community every day. That progress came through hard work, accountability, supporting our employees, and keeping our focus on public safety.

As Sheriff, I accept responsibility for the decisions made within this organization, and I take our responsibility to taxpayers seriously. We will continue looking for efficiencies, controlling expenses, and making responsible decisions while advocating for the staffing, equipment, training, and resources our employees need to safely do their jobs.

We must protect our community. We must support the men and women who serve it. And we must be responsible with taxpayer dollars. 

El Paso County is our home. I am proud of our employees, proud of the progress we have made, and committed to being transparent with our community as we work together toward responsible, long-term solutions.”