The court approved and adopted the fiscal year 2027 budget as modified.
The court approved Order 573 setting the 2026 county tax rate at $0.305015 per $100 of valuation. That rate is annual for the 2026 tax year. Commissioners also authorized parameters for a later certificates-of-obligation sale and approved several subdivision, purchasing and departmental actions.
The official meeting recording establishes the actions taken Sept. 17. Comal.News’ meeting preview explains the proposals commissioners had before them going into the session.
Budget, taxes and borrowing
Before the meeting, the posted agenda presented the budget, tax-rate and borrowing measures as proposals awaiting court action. The notice set the regular meeting for Sept. 17, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. in the Commissioners Courtroom at 100 Main Plaza in New Braunfels.
During the fiscal year 2027 budget hearing, a participant asked whether the presented charts had been posted on the county website; officials said much of the data was in the online proposed budget but a slide showing proposed additions was not.
The court ratified the property-tax revenue increase reflected in the fiscal year 2027 budget.
The court approved parameters allowing authorized officials to proceed with a later sale of certificates of obligation, with issuance not anticipated to exceed $155 million. The authorization is a framework for a later sale, not a finding that the county has already issued the full amount. A separate Comal.News report examines the debt order and its property-tax-backed repayment authority.
Subdivision and professional-services actions
The court approved combining Lots 1527 and 1528 into Lot 1527R and authorized the county judge to sign the plat amendment. The court approved the Scenic Terrace Section 1, Block 1 plat amendment combining three lots into one and authorized the county judge to sign.
The court approved the developer agreement concerning road and stormwater-drainage improvements at Park Village Subdivision Unit 7 and authorized the county judge to sign. Earlier reporting examined the project’s $10,815 cash deposit and a date conflict in the agreement materials.
The court approved the first amendment to the architectural and engineering agreement with Park Hill. The court approved the recommended evaluation committees for the professional geotechnical-services and surveying-services prequalification pools.
Security funding and department transfers
The court approved using justice security funds to purchase ballistic shields for Constable Precinct 1.
The court approved a District Court line-item transfer to fund 2026–2027 Third Administrative Judicial Region dues that were not originally budgeted. The court approved Road Department transfers for a replacement monitor, office furniture, and remaining 2026 waste-disposal costs.
Citizen comments
Tracy Byrne raised concerns about the proposed budget, tax rate, home appraisals, and delays in posting recordings of court meetings. A speaker objected to tax increases and urged greater scrutiny of departmental spending requests.
A speaker described an appraisal protest experience and said the appraisal district's handling of the matter made the speaker uncomfortable. A speaker discussed claimed developments in artificial-intelligence data centers, including reduced energy use, water consumption, and building size. A speaker encouraged voters to evaluate candidates beyond party affiliation, vet their qualifications, and scrutinize politicians' statements.
Those comments document what participants raised; they do not independently establish the speakers’ underlying claims. No direct quotations are used here.
Claims, proclamations and staff recognition
The court approved EFT and regular claims totaling $1,682,273.
The court approved a proclamation recognizing September 2026 as National Preparedness Month in Comal County. The court approved a proclamation recognizing September 17–23, 2026, as Constitution Week in the county.
County information-technology personnel were recognized for IT Professionals Day, and several birthdays were acknowledged.
What comes next
The next useful records are the official minutes, the adopted budget and tax-rate order, and the final debt-sale documents. Together, they can show the budget modifications, individual votes and the actual size, cost and purposes of any certificates sold. Readers can use the county agenda and meeting video linked above to compare the posted business with the recorded outcomes.