After closing two separate public hearings, Comal County commissioners approved an amended 2026 budget of $181 million and a new tax rate of 30.5 cents per $100 valuation on Thursday, Sept. 4.
The 2025 budget was $162 million and the current tax rate is 26.4 cents per $100 valuation.
County Judge Sherman Krause acknowledged the budget’s “huge” increase, saying the county needs to set aside funds for “future growth — or the growth that’s happening right now.”
This means increasing the fund balance for the future purchase of land for the rights-of-way of new or expanded county roads.
The county also needs to cover the expense of expanding offices for Precinct 3 and Precinct 4 justices-of-the-peace, a “revamp” of the tax office to improve its configuration, designing a new jail expansion instead of issuing debt, increasing the salaries for sheriff’s deputies and corrections officers so they are competitive with those of other jurisdictions, and hiring a person to manage the county’s new flood-warning system.
The budget allocates $124,181,679 for the general fund, $21,335,215 for roads and bridges, $1,129,700 for juries, $7 million for land acquisition, $5,036,000 for flood control, $14,382,081 for debt services, $150,296 for the law library, $107,759 for a juvenile case manager, $3,672,033 for indigent health care, $532,500 for child safety, $934,054 for Comal County records preservation, $279,115 for DC records preservation, $11,000 for vital records, $216,670 for the criminal district attorney asset-forfeiture fund, $89,670 for criminal district attorney bond commission, and $31,971 for Constable Precinct 3 Chapter 59 forfeiture fund.
Krause also broke down the 2026 budget by function.
“I think this is a really good measuring tool as to how we’re doing as a county, and what I mean by that is when you think about what county government is responsible for, this highlights that we’re concentrating our efforts and taxpayer dollars towards those primary objectives.”
According to a pie chart he presented before the budget vote, the breakdown includes:
- Debt Service – $14,382,081 or 8% of the budget
- Transfers Out – $2,578,673 or 1% of the budget
- General Government – $30,452,386 or 17% of the budget
- Justice System – $21,914,658 or 12% of the budget
- Public Safety – $40,184,060 or 22% of the budget
- Corrections and Rehabilitation – $29,186,212 or 16% of the budget
- Health and Human Services – $6,717,692 or 4% of the budget
- Community and Economic Development – $1,442,774 or 1% of the budget
- Infrastructure and Environment – $34,285,607 or 19% of the budget
- Debt Service – $14,382,081 or 8% of the budget
Speaking during public hearings, a woman who lives in Mystic Shores told commissioners she’s seen 106 listings of homes for sale by people who can no longer afford to live in Comal County.
“We’re hoping you can help us out because we’re on a fixed income,” she said. “Help us out so we can stay and live here. We love it here.”
Another Comal County resident who lives near Mobile Homes Estates said most people in Canyon Lake can’t afford to pay another $200 to the government.
“Most people are struggling as it is to meet day-to-day needs,” the man said. “…when is enough enough?”
After the budget was approved, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jen Crownover, one of two commissioners who represent Canyon Lake on the court, said commissioners put a lot of work into the budget, and managed to save at least $500,000 for taxpayers.
Comal County’s tax rates is one of the lowest of the 254 counties in Texas, she said.
“We’re all taxpayers, we live here, too, you’re our friends and neighbors that we represent and we work really, really hard to make sure those dollars we receive are spent wisely and frugally,” she said.
“That’s very important to us, and a lot of people have been fired up about the tax rate and stuff like that, and if you can tell me where we’re wasting it, then we’ll have that conversation. But it takes money to run this budget, a lot of the stuff comes down from the state as unfunded mandates that we have to do, and that is out of our control, so we have to cover those expenses.”
(Editor’s Note: Speakers are not required to sign in at commissioners court meetings, making it difficult to obtain correct spellings or the complete names of individuals.)