The county’s Budget and Finance Committee approved a tax rate of $1.99 Wednesday, paving the way for a ninth straight year without a county property tax increase.County Executive John Pelham said the budget, which is similar to previous years, features a $500 across-the-board pay raise for county employees.The budget will become official when it’s passed by the full Warren County Commission. Because of time constraints, Pelham said the commission will not vote on the budget this month. The vote will come during the county’s regular September meeting set for Sept. 19.“Unless something comes up that I don’t anticipate, we’ll be able to get this budget passed and meet our obligations without a tax increase for the ninth straight year while also giving our employees a raise,” said Pelham.