Walker County commissioners have approved a $39.9 million budget for fiscal year 2027 without increasing the county’s tax rate, following several months of discussion over rising expenses and how to balance the spending plan.
The Walker County Board of Commissioners approved the budget during its September 3 meeting. The new fiscal year begins October 1 and runs through September 30, 2027.
The final budget includes funding for three additional firefighters and does not add any other new county positions. County employees will receive a 3% cost-of-living adjustment.
Getting to the final spending plan took several months. When the budget process began this summer, county departments had submitted requests totaling more than $50 million. Chairwoman Angie Teems and county staff worked with department heads to reduce those requests by more than $10 million.
As recently as August, commissioners were still facing a projected $1.9 million gap between revenues and expenses, prompting the board to delay a budget vote while members considered additional changes. Among the pressures on the budget were inflation, state-mandated expenses, a new ambulance service contract, firefighter staffing and employee compensation.
The final $39.9 million spending plan was adopted without a tax increase.
For comparison, Walker County’s FY2026 General Fund budget was approximately $37.25 million.
