BURTON FACES TAX RATE QUESTIONS
The Burton City Council faces a big question concerning the city’s property tax rate for the coming year.
Burton city officials are looking to replace a backup city water well, which would run over a quarter-million dollars.
The city is attempting to revive an old water well after lightning caused damage in January. The city is currently using a second well which was drilled in 2012 using block grants, but knows a backup well is needed.
Block grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development may not be available at this time.
Washington County Tax Appraiser Willy Dilworth told the Burton City Council if they stay at the current tax rate of 50 cents per $100 valuation, they will only raise about $105,000 for debt retirement, of which Burton already pays approximately $83,000 annually.
Mayor David Zajicek says they have talked about applying for grants for a new well. Burton has received more than $1.4 million in Community Development block grants since 1984 for various projects, but such grants may not be available.
Dilworth told the council they could possibly raise that rate to 60 cents, but that would require public notices and two public hearings prior to adopting a tax rate in September.
Dilworth told the council he would have more concrete numbers in August.
Burton and other entities will set a tax rate prior to tax statements going out October first.
I wonder why those HUD block grants aren’t available?
This community needs to work together to solve some of these issues. It’s time for folks in this community to start looking outside the box. No one wants to pay more taxes and those that want better, don’t really want to be taxed out of their homes. I get that this community is about being conservative, however at some point, being too conservative comes at a much higher price, as this one has! Band-aids are temporary! This area is becoming more and more populated, that’s a given fact. The New County EMS station that is going to be built is a obvious sign that there are enough people in the area to spend tax dollars on this service. Dollar General would not have built if there is not a forecast of potential growth/income/profits. The school district reports, (If you believe it or not) that enrollment numbers continue to increase. If the school doesn’t do something, they are going to be in the same shape as the city at some point. Which brings up a great opportunity for everyone to work together to possibly solve, at least, this issue.
The School is looking to expand. It will happen at some point in the future. How about we look to the not so distant future and plan. The school has a water well that is used to water the grass. How about the city work with the school district and use that well as its back up. Yes, it would mean the ugly word of a “Bond”, but it would help the city residence share the load of having to supply the school with water. Face it, the majority of the water used in the city is by the school (Aside from the leaks in the system). If the schools water supply is shut off during the day the school can’t open. Remove the school from the system and reduce the demand on the current system to the residence and businesses, tie in a line as a back up if the current system goes down and vice versa. To me it’s a “win/win”. (The only issue would be if the State would allow it on campus since chlorine is used to treat the water, but there are ways to make it work.) This would be no different than a larger city putting a area on a separate system. It’s done every day. How about we look at attaching it to a logical bond plan that the school will be proposing in the future. The school tax payers are going to pay for it anyway in the form of a increased water bill. Why not work out a agreement so everyone shares equally and the problem is solved! It’s either this or the city residence see a tax increase. From reading this news article, seems like the city is almost out of options at this point.
PS lets not focus on how this happened, but how we are going to fix it long term this time.
With everyone so concerned about high taxes vs. govt. spending, I don’t understand why no one ever replies when I comment that it would be helpful if Willy Dilworth would release some data demonstrating the various districts’ property owners’ taxes if the ag exemption rules were revised to exclude land owners who don’t generate any or most of their income from the exempted property. Folks that finagle ag-exemption for their new 240 acre ‘estate’ next door to your non-ag exempt homestead are increasing YOUR taxes. Don’t you want to know how much?
google washington couty texas tax assessor (sp?) and you should find any info. you desire on any property in washington co. You can search by name or address or area, if I’m not mistaken.
I’m pretty familiar with their site, and the reason that I ask that they print my tax bill side-by-side with the bill I’d pay if ag-exemptions were revised is because that information does not appear to be available.