NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Nacogdoches County commissioners are weighing a proposed tax rate increase as they work to address employee compensation gaps and aging IT infrastructure in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

County Judge Chris Bentley said the budget workshop held Wednesday marked the county's first deliberations since receiving updated property value data from the county appraisal district.

Employee pay a top priorityBentley said rising costs have widened compensation gaps for county workers that went unaddressed in previous budget cycles."When we begin to look at our numbers over the last 3 to 5 years, begin to see some gaps that were unintended from previous courts - gaps that had to do with cost of living, inflation, purchasing power for our employees," Bentley said.