Commissioners table tax collection move until 2026
Milam County Commissioners voted to table changes to tax collections in the county for at least two years during a meeting on April 10.
Milam County Chief Appraiser Ryan Nichols brought the idea before commissioners in a presentation on March 11 proposing that the Milam County Appraisal District take over tax collections from the Milam County Tax Assessor/Collector’s Office.
Commissioners held public meetings over the last several weeks and came to the decision that it was not the right time to make that decision.
County Judge Bill Whitmire said that in all the conversations he had with county residents two people said that the county shouldn’t make the change and the majority of people told him the county was rushing into it.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Wesley Payne said that his only concern is that the county will spend the money to train a whole new staff and then decide to make the change.
Precinct 3 Commissioner James Denman said he thinks the county needs to wait until 2026 to make a change of this magnitude.
“People have been telling me to get the new tax assessor in office and let Ryan get a couple years under his belt and then look at it then,” Denman said.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Henry Hubnik said it is just a bad time due to a runoff election for the tax assessor going on right now.
Commissioners approved moving the discussion to 2026 by a vote of 3-2. Denman, Hubnik and Whitmire voted to table the topic and Payne and Precinct 3 Commissioner Art Neal voted against tabling.
In other business commissioners also: accepted bids for drainage work in Rockdale; accepted bids for a skid steer for Precinct 2; accepted the notice of completion for the Milam County Health Building; approved a resolution for a grant application for the MCSO for records and jail management system; discussed a fee increase to the temporary water line permits; discussed changes to driveway permit fees; and approved variances for Peter and Maria Davis on FM 2095 and Beverly Ferguson on Private Road 6035.