Lampasas County and city of Lampasas officials plan to balance their respective 2009-10 budgets without tax increases.

Lampasas County will attempt to raise the same amount of tax revenue as it did in 2008-09, County Auditor Jack Clark said. The total taxable value of properties in the county has increased from about $1.03 billion this year to $1.05 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. As a result, Clark expects the effective tax rate -- the rate needed to generate the same revenue as in 2008-09 -- to decrease.

Last year, the Lampasas County Commissioners Court set the 2008- 09 effective tax rate at 63.26 cents per $100. The effective rate for the upcoming year could be in the 60- cent range, Clark said after a budget meeting Wednesday.

City Manager Michael Stoldt also intends to help the Lampasas City Council balance the city's budget without a tax increase. The effort is important, Stoldt said, both because the city should avoid overburdening residents during a sluggish economy and because "we need to start living within our means."

The city manager noted that a transfer of $1 million in reserves helped the city balance its 2008-09 budget.

"We can't continue to do that," Stoldt said.

Even if tax rates decrease, some residents may pay higher property taxes than they did last year if their property valuations rose.

The Commissioners Court held budget workshops last week, and the City Council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m., as well as Aug. 11 and Aug. 13 at the same time. The new budget for both entities will take effect Oct. 1.

Commissioners discussed a variety of topics during budget meetings, including:

• pay raises, which will be limited to the regularly scheduled 3 percent "step" increases. The Commissioners Court declined a request from Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Andy Garcia for a supplement of $1,800 for a JP employee who earned a continuing education certification.

• the county's Scott & White HMO 20 health insurance plan. The county will keep its current coverage, although the county's cost will increase by 13.4 percent.

• animal control center salaries and operating expenses, which will be shared with the city of Lampasas. County officials hope the center, under construction on 1.7 acres of city-owned property on College Street, will open with one full-time employee, but the complex eventually may employ two workers. Employees will be paid based on the city of Lampasas salary scale.

• road and bridge budgets for the four county commissioners. Under a plan discussed Wednesday, Pre- cinct 1 Commissioner Robert Vincent would have $120,000, and Precinct 2 Commissioner Alex Wittenburg's budget would expand from $110,000 this fiscal year to $115,000. Precinct 3 Commissioner Lowell Ivey agreed to a $5,000 reduction, to $115,000, and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack B. Cox said he will take $130,000 -- a cut of $20,000 from this year.