Comal County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Comal County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
IT cloud backup migration
The county is consolidating its Microsoft 365 and local data backups onto Dell Apex cloud services, bundling contracts and saving about $95,000 versus buying hard drives.
2027 County Budget Planning
The county adopted a $214 million budget and set the tax rate at roughly 30.5 cents per $100. While officials emphasized staff retention, COLAs, and a flat tax rate, some residents expressed frustration over property tax burdens.
2026 Comal County Budget and 2025 Property Tax Rate Adoption
Comal County is proposing to keep its tax rate steady at $0.305015 per $100 valuation for the 2027 fiscal year budget. A public hearing was held, and final adoption is scheduled for September 17.
Employee Benefits Renewal
The county approved its annual health insurance and supplemental benefit packages for employees, including a 5.53% rate tier increase for health coverage and renewals for dental, vision, life, and disability plans.
County Fuel Purchasing and Cost Management
The county purchasing office reviewed fuel expenditures and savings achieved by encouraging fleet vehicles to fill up at county yards rather than retail pumps, while considering a fixed-rate TASB fuel agreement.
Temporary Budget Administrator Position
The county created a temporary part-time budget administrator role to bridge the gap during the County Auditor's retirement and assist with upcoming budget planning.
County Financial Audit and Fiscal Health
The county received a clean financial audit report (ACFR) for 2025, highlighting healthy reserves of over nine months in the general fund and a compressed audit schedule that benefits taxpayers.
County IT and Equipment Budget Adjustments
The county adjusted its 2026 budget lines to account for payroll changes, position adjustments, and an administrative budgeting oversight for Tyler software subscriptions.
Comal Appraisal District Board Nomination
The county nominated a new representative for the Comal Appraisal District Board of Directors following the retirement of John Tyler. The board manages property valuations and local tax burdens.
County Court at Law No. 3 Salary Realignment and Overpayment Recovery
Commissioners voted 3-2 to realign the 2025 salary of County Court at Law Judge No. 3, reducing total compensation from $177,623 to $171,000. Judge Wigington strongly protested the mid-year pay reduction and payroll garnishment, arguing it violated wage agreements and employment contracts, while commissioners defended correcting an administrative error.
Elected Officials and Constable Salaries
The court approved line-item transfers to fund state-mandated salary supplements for district judges and county court at law judges.
Return of Unobligated Federal ARPA SLFRF Funds
The county must return $272,387.08 in unspent federal COVID-19 relief funds to the U.S. Treasury because they were not obligated by the December 31, 2024 deadline.