Setting the Record Straight
Facts for Gillespie County Voters
THE CLAIM: "Judge Jones was a proponent of a 11.2% tax increase."
THE FACT: Under Texas law, counties are capped at a 3.5% revenue increase on existing property without voter approval. This claim is confusing Total Tax Revenue (which goes up when new buildings are built) with the Tax Rate (what property owners actually pay).
The "11.2%" figure is a manipulation of the data, not a reflection of your tax bill:
It Was Never Adopted: The 11.2% figure refers to a preliminary Total Revenue proposal that was never passed by the Commissioners Court. We did not adopt a budget with that increase.
The "Revenue" vs. "Rate" Trick: That 11.2 percentage did not refer to a tax rate increase on your home. It referred to an increase in Total Tax Revenue.
Where the Money Came From: That tax revenue increase was driven by New Property—new homes, businesses, and developments that were added to the tax roll for the first time this year.
The 3.5% Legal Cap: Under Texas law, counties are capped at a 3.5% revenue increase on existing property. If a county wants to raise the tax rate higher than that 3.5%, they must hold an election and get permission from the voters.
The Reality: The County collects more total tax revenue because there are more people and buildings in Gillespie County paying taxes, not because we hiked the tax rate on existing homeowners by 11.2%. We utilize that new property growth to fund necessary services without burdening existing taxpayers.
THE CLAIM: "The County Judge allowed the county finances/reconciliations to fall behind."
THE FACT: The County Treasurer is an independent elected official that answers only to the voters, not the County Judge.
This is a matter of Texas law, not opinion. Here are the facts regarding the separation of powers and the actions we took:
An Independent Office: In Texas, the County Treasurer is elected directly by the people. They do not report to the County Judge or the Commissioners Court. As County Judge, I have no legal authority to hire, fire, or manage the daily operations of the County Treasurer, nor can I legally "take over" their statutory duties to reconcile accounts. The duty to reconcile County accounts belongs exclusively to the County Treasurer you elect to hold that office.
Decisive Action Taken (May 2024): While I cannot do the Treasurer's job for them, I did not stand by idly. I sought assistance from the Texas Association of Counties to provide training and mentors for the County Treasurer, and led the Commissioners Court in May 2024 to authorize external professional assistance.
The Reality: We have provided the County Treasurer with every resource and tool necessary—including outside CPA assistance—to remedy the delay, despite the Treasurer's Office being an autonomous elected office.
THE CLAIM: "The County has not had any financial audit in over 2 years."
THE FACT: Gillespie County is not "Unaudited":
The County Auditor (an independent internal auditor not under the oversight of the Commisioners Court) audits the County’s financial activity daily to maintain the integrity of financial administration of the County. External audits are not mandatory for counties, but Gillespie County obtains additional external audits for grant reporting purposes. There have been 2 external audits delayed due to the County Treasurer’s delayed reconciliations.
An audit cannot be performed on books that have not been reconciled. The delay is not caused by a lack of funding or oversight, but because the County Treasurer has not yet produced the necessary records. The claim is misleading by blaming the Commissioners Court for a backlog that exists entirely within the County Treasurer's office.
The Bottom Line: We are forcing the solution. We brought in outside help to assist with the Treasurer’s books so the external auditors can commence their work as soon as possible.