HUNTSVILLE — Walker County Commissioners on Monday approved a $25 million budget for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 and adopted a tax rate of 57.93 cents per $100 property value, an increase of .23 cents from Fiscal Year 2009-2010.

The increase was adopted along with several other measures during the second half of a two part public hearing on the budget Monday night at the Walker County Courthouse.

During the public hearing, the commissioners heard comments that the county could save up to $3,000 per $1 million spent in their budget by adopting a policy to print business cards in black ink on basic cardstock for all county employees, and comments expressing concern for the county’s fire protection agreements with the City of Huntsville.

Following the hearing, the commissioners unanimously approved ratifying the property tax increase, then voted unanimously to adopt the 2010-2011 budget and the increased tax rate.

County Judge Danny Pierce said the new tax rate, which is recognized as the current effective tax rate, would provide the county $355,740 in new revenue, more than $211,000 of which is new growth. The county expects a total revenue from property taxes of $11.9 million.

The 2010-2011 budget includes $4.4 million in road and bridge expenditures, $300,000 in capital projects and $1.3 million in debt service on certificates of obligation.

A complete copy of the budget is available to the public in the County Judge’s Office at the courthouse or online at www.co.walker.tx.us.

Following the budget discussion the commissioners also voted to enact a countywide burn ban effective 8 a.m. today. The burn ban is in effect for 90 days or until it is ordered to be lifted by Pierce.

The commissioners then voted to approve an order that would limit spending by county officials currently up for re-election or planning retirement.

Pierce explained that the order would limit those officials to spending only up to 25 percent of the 2010-2011 budget for their offices unless additional spending is approved by the court.

This allows retiring officials and officials who may lose in re-election bids to only spend funds for approximately one quarter of a year, the amount of time remaining until their current terms expire.

The commissioners then approved the hiring of a new bailiff/warrant officer for the county and also approved retroactive pay through August for an employee recently transferred to the courthouse security position.

Commissioners held a public hearing to discuss the proposed budget before their 9 a.m. regular session in addition to the 5:30 p.m. session, but no one from the public requested to address the court, so the hearing was adjourned.

During the morning meeting, commissioners denied a variance to the owner of property bordered by Morris Lane in Walker County who wanted to the court to waive the requirement that land be dedicated for a county road right of way.

Commissioners also approved revisions to the off-site sewage facility regulations by the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality; approved $110,254 in claims and invoices; approved the county purchasing agent seeking bids on road construction and maintenance materials; and approved contracts for custodial services and food for Walker County Jail inmates