Howard County Quorum Court passes 2021 budget

Howard County’s budget for 2021 was approved Monday by the quorum court. County General funds for operation of offices within the courthouse will total $2.04 million dollars. The entire budget next year for all funds available will be $7.13 million dollars. Next year’s budget includes a three percent cost of living pay increase for elected officials and employees, with the exception of the Howard County Assessor’s position. The county’s budget committee recommended putting a freeze on the assessor’s pay because that position already has a higher salary than three other elected offices within the courthouse. The separation in pay between the assessor’s position and the other elected positions came about many years ago because the county’s appraisal project was conducted internally by the assessor’s office. Now, the appraisal is performed by an outside entity and because of that, the county’s budget committee recommended a salary freeze until the other three elected positions catch up with the assessor’s salary.
Additional funds, in the amount of $50,000 dollars, are also being contributed to assist with the shortfall in collections at the Howard County District Office. Judge Jessica Steel Gunter recently told the budget committee that the 2019 flood and COVID-19 this year has led to an increased shortfall of revenues collected by the court office.
Next year’s budget will also include as much as $250,000 dollars being contributed to the county’s contingency fund. That account is expected to be at or slightly above the one million dollar mark by the end of next year.