Overview
- Commissioners unanimously adopted a rate above the voter-approval cap to raise about $42 million without an election under state disaster law.
- County officials say more than $21 million has already gone to debris removal, emergency services, and infrastructure repairs, exhausting reserves.
- The change adds roughly $200 to the annual county tax bill for an average homestead, according to county estimates.
- Attorney Bill Aleshire says he will file suit on behalf of Lago Vista Council Member Shane Saum and Jeff Bowen, challenging the use of the disaster mechanism.
- An expedited opinion requested by Sen. Donna Campbell from the Texas attorney general on the legality of creating reserves with this authority remains pending, and the county has not released a detailed spending plan, though commissioners cited Onion Creek mitigation and road safety as priorities.