State law requires that citizens be allowed to participate in the budget making process. If you're interested in the amount of money your city, county, school district or special service district must raise from property taxes, you should plan to attend meetings of the district budget committees. 

At public meetings committee members listen to arguments for and against additional or improved services. If it is decided that a new service or improvement is a good one, they include it in a budget that is recommended to the governing body. 

The governing body is composed of men and women elected or appointed to be responsible for the operations of the district. The governing body must approve the budget.