Allen property owners could see their county tax rate rise for the first time in 33 years under a proposed $359.7 million budget heading to its first public hearing Monday, Aug. 31.

The Collin County Commissioners Court is scheduled to open that hearing at 1:30 p.m. at the Jack Hatchell Administration Building in McKinney. The FY2027 General Fund spending plan is a 10.6% increase over the $325.1 million adopted for the current year, according to an Aug. 24 meeting preview by Precinct 4 Commissioner Shelby Williams.

The proposed tax rate of $0.151414 per $100 of taxable value would be the first county rate increase since 1993, Hoodline reported.

The budget could climb to $384.7 million if commissioners fund every item on the supported and neutral request lists, Williams wrote.

The court is scheduled to hold a final public hearing and adopt the budget Sept. 14.

Commissioners have also called an $817.5 million bond election for Nov. 3 covering facilities, roads, parks and a new elections and records storage building.

Cobble Creek district hearing

Commissioners will also hear public testimony on creating the Cobble Creek Public Improvement District (PID), a proposed 108-acre development in east Collin County south of County Road 643, west of FM 547 and north of FM 1778.

The developer's petition estimates $12 million in eligible improvements covering roads, drainage, water, sewer, parks and sidewalks, according to the meeting agenda preview. A PID lets a developer levy assessments on property owners inside the district to pay for infrastructure. County taxpayers at large would not fund the improvements.

A resolution to formally create the district is also on the agenda.

Data-center noise request added to legislative agenda

The court is scheduled to discuss its wish list for the 90th Texas Legislative Session. A new item asks state lawmakers to grant counties authority to regulate noise in unincorporated areas, aimed at data centers sited near homes.

Budget tensions: sheriff's position cut

The budget heading to public hearing already carries a dispute. During earlier workshop sessions, commissioners voted to eliminate the position of Sgt. Jessica Pond, the Sheriff's Office public affairs sergeant.

Sheriff Jim Skinner responded with an Aug. 24 press release canceling Citizens Academy Class 30, which had been scheduled to run August through November.

In that statement, Skinner said he had asked commissioners how his office would handle public information and media requests after the cut and had not received a response. The position ends Oct. 1.

Consent spending totals about $4.26 million. That includes a $2.06 million fuel contract renewal with Petroleum Traders, a $1.74 million interlocal agreement between the Sheriff's Office and Adult Probation for the VALOR veterans program covering 33 secure residential beds, and a $1.04 million property insurance renewal through the Texas Association of Counties (TAC).

Four Texas Veterans Commission grants totaling $950,000 are also on the consent agenda.

Separately, the county is budgeting $4.02 million received from selling land to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the US 380 project.

That land was originally purchased with 2018 bond funds.

The county and the City of Nevada are also terminating their Eugene Lane reconstruction agreement after the two sides could not agree on who pays for drainage work. Nevada's council canceled the agreement Aug. 4.

How to participate

Residents can speak at the hearing by filling out a blue card at the County Clerk's office before the 1:30 p.m. start or by emailing commissioners through the county website.

Meeting videos are archived on the same site.