Diana Leticia Gutierrez

The proposed annual budget for Kinney County, Texas for the fiscal year 2025-2026 includes a property tax rate comparison and a recapitulation of constitutional and statutory tax and fee funds. It details the revenues and expenditures for various funds including the General Fund, Road & Bridge, Special Revenue, and Grant Funds. The budget covers various aspects of county administration, judicial functions, public safety, health and welfare, and road maintenance.

The Kinney County Commissioners Court approved and adopted the Kinney County Employee Handbook to comply with laws applicable to public employers and provide employees with a uniform format for dealing with employment-related issues.

The public hearing focused on the progress of the Booster Station Water Pump project, which is entering its construction phase. Information was shared on Section 3 requirements for low-income businesses and workers interested in bidding on the project. The Citizen Participation plan was discussed, which aims to inform the community of their rights and project awareness. A review of the Citizens Survey results highlighted streets as the top priority, followed by drainage improvements, removal of blighted structures, and water/sewer line improvements. The Kinney County Park Development Project was reviewed, including the approved Splashpad project. Housing concerns in Kinney County and the Fair Housing Act were also discussed, along with eligible activities under the TxCDBG program and established priorities for the county.

The Kinney County Hazard Mitigation Plan focuses on empowering resilience through proactive planning to create a prepared and adaptive community that can withstand, respond to, and recover from hazards while preserving its unique identity and fostering a sense of unity. The plan identifies and assesses the potential impact of eleven natural hazards, including heat wave, flooding, drought, lightning, wildland fire, ice storms, and tornadoes, setting forth mitigation actions and plans to reduce risk and build more robust and sustainable communities. It serves as a five-year blueprint for making the County and its communities more disaster-resistant by creating sustainable actions that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from future natural disasters.