Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

09-07-25

   On Monday morning, September 8th, 2025 at 10AM the Uvalde County Commissioners Court is set to cast a final vote on the proposed 2025/2026 Uvalde County Budget following a public hearing at the Uvalde County Courthouse. It is not clear of those who cannot attend this vote can access the live-stream video of the proceeds due to a history of glitches with the Uvalde County Audio/Video Equipment.

 According to a notice posted on the Uvalde County Website about the public hearing, it states that the total proposed budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $2,132,665 or 13.61% and of that amount, $213,715.00in new property added to the tax rolls this year.

The notice also states that the proposed budget includes a 5% cost of living adjustment.

A copy of the final budget draft can be found here.

 The total proposed budget for Uvalde County is $65,141,518.07 up from the amended budget passed in 2024 which was $44,588,585.45 according to the County of Uvalde Budget 2025-2026 budget posted on the County’s website.

 It is not clear if $10 million the court agreed to borrow this year is included in the proposed budget.

Concerns raised about the 2025-2026 proposed county budget:

Uvalde County Clerk’s staff salaries:

  According to County Clerk Donna M. Williams, her request is to be able to pay her staff according to their duties, responsibilities and the services that they provide to the community. Many county officials start their staff at 35k or more and are able to give increases as they see fit.

  According to ZipRecruiter (August 2025 data), the average annual salary for County Clerk staff in Texas is approximately $39,516, with an hourly average of $19.00/hr.

  The 25th percentile is around $32,100/year, and the 75th percentile is about $41,900/year.

  Out of 5 Uvalde County Clerk employees’ salaries listed on the 2025/2026 proposed budget including the county clerk’s office chief deputy at $32,864, the average salary of the 4 staff members amounts to $29.906. (salary decimal amounts not calculated in)

Uvalde County Volunteer Fire Departments

  Of the County’s Volunteer Fire Departments receiving funds from the county and not part of an Emergency Services District which includes, Knippa VFD, Sabinal VFD and Reagan Wells VFD, according to the proposed budget, each department will receive less than $10K each with the City of Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department budgeted to receive $15,000.

 Due to the perceived need for funds, the Uvalde County Commissioners voted to approve a petition to create an Emergency Services District (Knippa, Sabinal and Reagan Wells) taxing entity, which if approved by voters this November’s upcoming election will levy up to 10 cents per $100 value directly on property owners in Uvalde County.

Original post edited to include additional information) 

In an interview with Uvalde County Clerk Donna M. Williams, she recounted going into the Uvalde County Clerk’s office on January 1st, 2023 with two of her staff. She explained that she went in to assess the situation after receiving the bag of keys in such an unprofessional manner.

  “I went in on January 1st, a Sunday, with two of my staff. As soon as we walked in there was a pile of trash on the floor,” Williams said. She stated she later spoke to the janitor of the building and he assured that he cleaned it and the trash wasn’t there before.

  Williams recounted that after the Swearing in Ceremonies on Midnight of January 1st, 2023, she met with the County Judge and was handed a bag of keys, approximately 60 loose, unmarked, unlabeled keys.

 “All 7 desks were completely empty, all filing cabinets in front office also completely empty. All computer applications, icons email accounts, and programs were deleted. Of the things that were found, all were rearranged and misplaced in boxes in the basement. We were finding things in random places,” Williams said. One example, she found the November and December 2022 purchase order books hidden in the Texas Alcohol Beverage and Commission  file.

  She issued the Public Notice  ONLY after spending several days searching thoroughly within the office, going through all storage boxes in office and basement, and offsite storage facilities, all the while still providing other services to the public, and conducting business to the best of our ability, given the situation.

“In reference to revising the posted notice, “Why would I let people assume that we  have all the tools necessary(forms) to do business and that it was something on our part that prevented us from doing business? It’s unacceptable, and should not be tolerated or accepted as the norm.”

The paper used for marriage, births and death certificates, Williams explained, is not ordinary paper but each is numbered and tracked by the State  “If we void one, we have to notify the state.” She said.

“We reported the loss to the State,” Williams said. When asked what State agency she reported the loss to, she said the Department of State and Human Services or DSHS.

 In responding to the “requirement” that official forms and documents with the outgoing County Clerk’s signature are to be destroyed, Williams acknowledged that in fact, some are allowed by law, to be destroyed,  but there is a process that requires contacting DSHS and  advising them ahead of time so they can prepare for transition of incoming clerk. According to DSHS, they were not notified. Williams said the previous administration, as do ALL elected officials, have a DUTY to leave supplies for at least 30- 60 days so the incoming officials and staff can provide services to our community.

“We have a duty to the public to leave enough supplies for at least 60 days,” Williams said, “and that process and professional courtesy has been extended to all previous clerks, including Romero, yet she failed to do so upon her exit from office.”

A public notice from the Uvalde County Clerk was received by the Uvalde Hesperian on Friday morning, January 13th from Donna Williams. The public notice states the following:

“Please take note that the Uvalde County Clerk’s office is unable to issue birth or death certificates or to issue marriage licenses at this time. We regret to inform you that those services have been temporarily suspended. Upon our first day in office, on January 1st, 2023, it was discovered that ALL security or official paper and all applications and forms were missing or destroyed.”

  On Saturday Morning, January 14, 2023, Valerie Del Toro Romero, the former Uvalde County Clerk responded to William’s public notice.

  “In response to the recent ”public notices” issued by the Uvalde County Clerk and circulated on the Uvalde Hesperian Facebook page please know that this information is inaccurate and misleading. First and foremost, I DID NOT destroy any “birth or death records”, “official paper” or “marriage application forms”. The banknote paper used to print certified copies of birth and death records containing MY NAME and MY SIGNATURE were legally destroyed in the presence of two assistant auditors during my end of term audit. A finger print based criminal background check is required and the responsibility of the incoming clerk to make arrangements with the state to provide the necessary requirements prior to taking office to avoid a disruption of service. I have attached the statute below for reference. Has this been done?

  Marriage applications are automatically generated by the current case management system (LGS) or applications can be downloaded directly from the state website. Marriage Licenses are ordered as a duty of the clerk just as if you were ordering office supplies. It makes me wonder why the current clerk is disputing this procedure when she did the EXACT SAME THING at her end of term audit in 2018. Nowadays, you can never be too careful. Especially, with the current situation of illegal immigration, fraud and smuggling if this banknote paper were to fall into the wrong hands with MY NAME and MY SIGNATURE.

  Furthermore, I would like to know why the County Clerk issued two different public notices; one to be posted on the county website and a different one to the Uvalde Hesperian Facebook? This is defamation of character with intent to cause me harm. I extended the County Clerk the exact same professional courtesies that she extended to me when I took office in 2019. Obviously, she holds a double standard. If she needed my help, all she had to do was ask! I assumed she knew the duties and responsibilities required of her job. After all, she held this office prior to my term. One of Donna M. Williams’ campaign promises was to “protect our borders”. I suppose she was too busy “protecting our borders” than to prepare for her first day in office!,” Valarie Del Toro Romero wrote.

with her post, she included the following image (see image on the right)