GATESVILLE, Texas — Emotions boiled over at the Coryell County Commissioners Court on Sept. 23 as dozens of taxpayers packed the courthouse to protest an 8.6% property tax increase . Several residents made explicit threats of political retaliation against elected officials.

The heated confrontation marked the climax of a month-long budget battle that began when commissioners initially proposed a stunning 21.1% tax increase in early September. Following public opposition, they scaled back the proposal, but still face strong resistance to what would be the county's eighth tax increase in nine years.

The proposed budget would set the tax rate at 47.52 cents per $100 of assessed value, up from the current 44.82 cents. For a home valued at $224,318 — the county's median — that translates to

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