August 4, 2026 El Paso County Commissioners Court Joint Special Session Meeting

The El Paso County Commissioners Court held a joint special session meeting on August 4, 2026, with the El Paso County Hospital District Board of Managers to discuss and take action on the fiscal year 2027 operating, capital, and debt service budgets for the hospital district. Key topics included the proposed tax rate, which was set at the no new revenue rate of 0.236904 per $100 assessed value, consisting of 0.176631 for maintenance and operations and 0.060273 for debt service. The meeting featured detailed presentations on hospital district operations, including growth in patient admissions, expansion of services, and investments in workforce development such as a planned increase in minimum wage to $16 per hour. The board approved the 2027 budget and tax rate, with a formal vote taken to adopt these measures. Discussions also addressed challenges related to Medicaid reimbursement changes, ongoing capital projects funded by a $400 million bond approved in 2024, and the importance of preventive care and health outcomes. The meeting concluded with scheduling a public hearing on the tax rate for August 24, 2026.