Coryell County jail costs rise, budget pressures add to tax burden

Coryell County leaders reported that the cost of running the county jail continued to climb during this budget season, leaving the facility as one of the largest line items in the county budget. County officials said a shortage of beds identified two years ago prompted voters to reject a bond for a new facility, and the county instead expanded its existing jail. That expansion increased the number of inmates the county must feed and care for, even while dozens remain housed outside the county.

County budget figures highlighted the pressure on property taxpayers. "A percentage can be very misleading. When we look at 2025, that number was about 5.9 million. When we're looking at our proposed budget for 2026, it's 5.95 million. That slight increase has an impact on your tax rate," Miller said. County leaders also tied a larger budget gap to jail operations. That $500,000 difference, Miller said, is directly tied to jail operations, and officials estimate the combined effect amounts to roughly a penny more on the tax rate compared to a few years ago.

Residents expressed frustration with long term planning. "The thing that got me the most, being a resident and taxpayer, is how far the county is behind in the growth schedule and accommodating anything that comes in," resident Jane Vaughn said. Vaughn noted the county has delayed capital expansions for decades. "It looks like the county has not done any other expansions since 1991," she said.

Officials framed their choices around public safety and fiscal limits. "That's what we're facing right now: that balance of costs that are increasing, that are out of our control, versus what we're trying to mitigate that’s within our control, so it has the least amount of impact to our taxpayers while still ensuring that we have a safe environment, safe community, safe county," Miller said. Miller was expected to submit the proposed budget by Friday, leaving the county to weigh near term tax impacts against investments in detention capacity and community safety.