COUNTY OFFICIALS AWAITING WORD FROM FEMA

  

Washington County officials are waiting on the feds to find out if they’ll receive any money to repair local roads, damaged in the flooding in May.

County Commissioners confirmed a disaster declaration in June to become eligible for federal aid money, and officials are still waiting to hear back from the FEMA.

There are still six roads closed due to high water and three roads unrepaired.  County Judge John Brieden tells The Brenham Banner Press that officials don’t have any idea what impact this is making or what damage is there.

Brieden goes on to say that Washington County’s threshold sits at $120,000, a number the county is going to easily surpass.

Governor Greg Abbot included the county in a statewide disaster declaration, but FEMA must schedule a date to verify whether the county has met its designated damage threshold to qualify for aid and be included in its separate declaration.

If approved by FEMA, the county could receive a 65 percent reimbursement for damage repairs.

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4 Comments

  1. I think A RURAL missed the point of taxpayers post. I believe he was referring to the landowners who simply use the tax exemption as a way of getting out of paying taxes while not using their land to contribute to agriculture hence the “when they have a 4 cows grazing”. Although the ag exemption is necessary for helping farmers and ranchers, it can be abused and that is what is not fair.

  2. Reading your comment A Rural, I can only assume that you did R e a d the part in taxpayers comment about requiring 30 percent or more of net income to keep the agriculture exemption. With the complete losses you suffered from your Total income operation, you were eligible and entitled to funds for the drought disaster funds from the government. Having been personally involved in a total income farm operation some time ago, I am very familiar with who produces the food for our tables. But I also received an education in economics and know this fact. For many decades, our counties major income was from agriculture income, cotton, corn, cattle, dairy, etc.. This is Clearly No Longer the case for some decades now. As with all profound changes of curcumstances, the rules most also change to accomodate the majority.

  3. I agree it would benefit all of Washington County taxpayers to get relief from FEMA to help rebuild our roads, bridges and other problems left from the flooding. In direct response to TAXPAYER.
    Dear TAXPAYER, REALLY? I am what you consider a “RURAL” and because due to your I comments assume you are like me and dislike opening your tax bill too. Who doesn’t? My tax bill increased the same percentage as the majority of Washington Counties property owners, home and rural. What you may not be considering is because I and many Washington County “RURAL’ property owners have suffered tremendously the last several years due to the drought. I can only speak from personal experience, I had to sell most of my livestock during the drought. This was stock that I had planned to sale over the next 6 years to generate income to survive/eat. Do you remember the drought? Did your grass around your home die? Well, a “RURAL” can’t water their pastures or fill their stock tanks with city water to keep their animals from suffering. Have you considered watching your only income suffering from the drought, no water and grass, having to keep them alive by purchasing feed and hauling water to keep them alive? My animals ate and drank before I did. My only income is my livestock. I lost at least five years of income because I had to sale 95% of my herd to keep them from suffering a slow death. I currently have 5% of my animals left. I tried to retain my base breeding stock to rebuild, but that will take several years. How is that going to feed my family? Do you really think I am more profitable than you and can pay my tax bills any easier than you? I too struggle with my utility, grocery and tax bills just as everyone else does, and thank God for the rains and grass growing this year so my feed bills will be lower. I may have a chance to grow out my 5 calves this year to become breed stock. Oh by the way, my livestock, you are so lowly regard were used to help feed you and your loved ones. Do you every consider when you visit the grocery store and local restaurants where the beef, chicken, onion rings, vegetables, and french fries come from? They came from all the disdained “RURAL” throughout our wonderful United States. I am trying to rebuild our herd and hopefully will, in your estimate, become a more productive citizen of Washington County. I don’t want to pay more taxes because I am considered a “RURAL”. I won’t be able to, another bankrupt rancher? Who do you think will my absorb the lost of tax revenue when I give up? My income has been almost the amount of taxes owed for the previous three years. You seem to want better treatment because you are not RURAL. Well, let’s turn the tables… My assumption is you have more opportunity to earn more income (in an air conditioned environment without the back breaking, heart wrenching work, animal and farm equipment to increase your expenses). So, you should take more tax increase to give RURAL a little breathing room from taxes. Silly, right? Why, don’t we all be considerate of other fellow citizen’s situations, stop hating others because we derive our income differently. We ALL struggle to make ends meet. Let us work toward more positive things instead of trying to point the finger at a group of people to increase their burdens in order to reduce yours. Try another tactic TAXPAYER.stop assuming and hating, let’s try to work with our government officials to find ways to reduce government waste and reduce the tax liability for ALL taxpayers not target a specific group.

  4. All who pay property tax in this county should hope the commissioners get FEMA to send money. The county looks for any reason to raise our taxes. This years across the board increase was scandulous. If you pay taxes or if you just live here, the following facts should open your eyes to the excessive and foolish manner that our county and city officials spend tax dollars. Washington county has some of the highest property taxes in the United States, we rank 416 out of 3,143 counties. And, 3.71 percent of the average annual income here is paid in property taxes. And county officials tell us that Washington county’s taxes are below what they should be when they consider the boom of large estate building in our rural areas. The key to that fact is the word RURAL and the 50% agricultural tax reduction rate these parcels of 11 acres plus receive when they have a 4 cows grazing. Tell our state legislature this must be corrected by changing the law to read thus: if a property with this agricultural exemption cannot prove that 30% of the owners net income is derived from the product produced then the 50% property tax exemption is not allowed. This is what is fair and just to the remainder of the taxpayers in the county.

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