Residents urge more equitable sheriff pay and raise concerns about tax burden during Polk County budget hearing

During the public hearing on the FY2026 budget, several Polk County residents raised concerns about sheriff’s office compensation, the distribution of state grant money, and the fiscal impact of higher property taxes on retirees and fixed-income households.

A frequent public speaker identified in the record as Nina McAfee said she has addressed the court on the budget in previous years and focused her remarks on sheriff’s department compensation. McAfee told the court that state grants (identified in the meeting as SB 22 and T- COLA funds) provided supplemental money to deputies, that those grants excluded dispatchers, and that the county’s presentation of sheriff payroll increases was misleading without separating state grant amounts from county-funded raises.

McAfee cited specific payroll comparisons presented in the meeting: she said deputies with long service had annual pay in the low‑to‑mid $40,000s, while some elected officials’ staffs had seen larger percentage increases and larger pool growth. She urged a public committee under the Local Government Code to review equitable compensation across county offices.

Other speakers at the hearing said rising taxes strain retired residents on fixed incomes and asked the court to revisit departmental budgets to find savings rather than raising taxes. A resident who identified himself as Mr. Baxter urged returning budget requests to departments to identify cuts; another speaker, Mr. Landon, asked about unresolved animal-control issues (geese). The court, and county staff, responded to those public comments during the hearing.

No formal court action was taken in response to the public-comment items at the hearing; the court proceeded with the published budget votes and recorded the public comments in the minutes.