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Smith County, Texas · questions

Smith County: questions people ask

Answered from the same public records the rest of the site cites — each answer links to the page that shows its work.

How big is Smith County's 2026 budget?

Smith County, Texas appropriated $198,056,173 for 2026, across 6 funds. The largest are General Fund ($120.7 million, 61%), Road & Bridge Fund ($25.5 million, 13%), Capital Improvement Funds ($24.2 million, 12%). Walk the whole money trail.

How much does Smith County spend on the sheriff and the jail?

Lines whose names match the sheriff and the jail add to $60,091,173 in the 2026 budget (30% of the total): Jail $32.9 million, Sheriff's Department $17.5 million, Juvenile Detention $6.7 million, Dispatch Operations (Sheriff) $2.9 million, Community Supervision & Corrections $75,953. Names vary by county, so open each line to see what it covers.

How much does Smith County spend on roads?

Lines whose names match roads add to $25,460,736 in the 2026 budget (13% of the total): Road & Bridge Fund $25.5 million. Names vary by county, so open each line to see what it covers.

Are these numbers checked?

Yes. Every total marked complete is checked against the sum of its parts, to the cent: 10 of 10 checks pass. Where the county's own pages disagree, the money trail keeps the printed number and says so. See every check.

What is the property tax on a home in Smith County?

For a $300,000 home, taxed as a homestead, the published rates come to about $3,743 a year (about $312 a month). Enter your own value to see where every dollar goes, by government and by what it pays for.

When is the next election in Smith County, and how do I vote?

The next election is the general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting runs Oct 19 to Oct 30. Your election office is the Smith County Elections Administration (903-590-4777). Dates, hours, ID rules and where to vote.

Where do these numbers come from?

From one public document: Smith County FY2026-27 Budget (posted as “FY 2027 Proposed Budget”). Every amount on the site cites its document and page. The full document list.

What's missing — what hasn't been gathered yet?

11 open items, each a document still to get or a question the records raise: The adopted FY27 budget book; The Tyler half-cent sales tax: where it goes; Economic development taxes in Lindale, Bullard, and Whitehouse; and more. A gap means "not gathered yet," never "hidden." The docket.

Can I download the data?

Yes, free: the 2026 budget as CSV (opens in any spreadsheet) or as JSON. Each row has its fund-and-department path, amount, and source document and page. Please cite the original document; County Commons is a guide to it.

Is this an official Smith County government website?

No. County Commons is an independent, nonpartisan, citizen-built project with no affiliation with any government. Official sites: Smith County, City of Tyler, City of Whitehouse, City of Lindale, City of Bullard, City of Troup, City of Arp, City of Winona. It computes and cites public records, and never endorses candidates or takes sides on ballot measures. How every number is sourced.