ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — The Ector County Commissioners Court made some final decisions Tuesday when it comes to the financials in the county.
"We go through hearing with all the department heads and all the elected officials, and we come back, massage all the numbers, put it together, put together a proposed budget, and then one of the processes is we have to adopt a final budget, and that's what we did here today," said Ector County Judge Debi Hays.
One budgetary item is a new and improved department.
"We developed a project development department and enhanced it to where we will be able to go out in the county and do some restrictions as far as new subdivisions and developments that will be going on as our county continues to grow," said Hays.
The county is also using American Rescue Plan Act funds in a few different areas.
"Our volunteer fire departments, and the Gardendale Water District, and the West Odessa ECUD district," said Hays. "So we felt like saving lives, saving homes and giving people the infrastructure of water was important to all the citizens."
With an increase in the budget this year, Ector County is putting that money where they think it is needed.
"When we passed the sales tax, there were three things that were of the utmost importance that the constituents wanted, and they wanted environmental cleanup, they wanted roads and then a presence of law enforcement in the county," said Hays.
The county also lowered the tax rate since last year.
"In the budget process, I lowered the tax rate, with the work of the county auditor, so that the individuals that have to live in the home, that have to pay property taxes would not have to see a huge hit to their budget," said Hays.