HEATED EXCHANGE OVER TAX RATE AT CITY COUNCIL MONDAY

  

A heated exchange took place this (Monday) morning during a special meeting of the Brenham City Council.  The meeting was held to approve the city budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year.  Council member Danny Goss moved that the proposed one cent tax increase be dropped and the tax rate be kept the same as last year.  With the increased property valuations, that tax rate would bring an additional 5 percent to the city.  Goss’s motion died for lack of a second.  The council then voted to adopt a one cent higher tax rate of $0.517 which is effectively a 7 percent increase.  Goss was the only council member to vote no.

Council member Susan Cantey questioned why Goss didn’t object during the budget workshop meetings and stated that he was grandstanding now.  Goss stated that Cantey didn’t understand how City Council works and that this was the correct time to formally object.

 

George Dillingham

 

 

One person spoke up during the Public Hearing on the proposed city budget.  Real Estate Agent George Dillingham stated that the 7 percent tax increase was not sustainable.  He said that while the money may be needed for city projects, the council needs to consider taxpayers and that the continued increases would eventually make real estate in the city unaffordable.

 

The council voted to approve the $62 million budget for the city.  The budget is $1.5 million higher than last year, due mostly to personnel costs. It also has increases for various improvement projects in the city. Goss again was the only dissenting vote on the budget.

In other action, the council voted to approve a grant application for Rifle-Resistant Body Armor.  The grant would come from the Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor.  Police Chief Craig Goodman said that he is requesting 10 24 (corrected value via Chief Goodman) of the vests to supplement the 10 that the department already has.  He stated that they would be used in high risk situations such as warrant arrests.

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22 Comments

  1. I did a little research and find some of this outrage to be a bit over the top. I am a long term homeowner in Brenham and am not a senior citizen and do not qualify for any tax breaks. I looked at my tax bills from 2007-2017. The city taxes I pay represent only about 23%-24% over the 10 years period, and it only increased $70 during that time. Yet we have people wailing about not being able to buy medicine or food, and screaming for change in the city government. Be for real people.

    I love the fact that we have one councilman who is willing to make things a little harder for the rest of the pack. However, if you look objectively at the city, it is well run, spends conservatively, and does a good job or serving our citizens. If you want to get upset about taxes, take a hard look at your school taxes, look at the bloat in the administration building, the army of specialists on each campus that selfdom if ever interact with kids. Check out the size of certain departments payroll while others suffer in silence. The real waste, fraud, and abuse can be found at the school. Check it out and see.

  2. Where does Danny Goss come from thinking that he can talk to people like that? Granted, a workshop isn’t where you have to make your mind up but it sure is the place to voice your opinions, so that changes can be made prior to a vote. Perhaps that’s why Goss has been the only no vote on so many things, because when it counts, he isn’t actually putting work in. Not the kind of behavior I would expect from a potential mayoral candidate!

    Also, I sure hope that before the city considers financial incentives for a new company coming in to Brenham, they find out what the wages the company will be paying its employees. That’s the real reason that it’s unaffordable to live in this town. We pay extremely high taxes, yet all of the companies in this town pay terrible wages. Big changes coming in the future if this town’s companies don’t get caught up, going to lose all of our middle class families, the lower class will expand, and the wealthy will see this town collapse underneath them. Or continue to pay higher and higher taxes until they too leave.

    1. I totally agree with you Josh. Brenham has become very expensive to live in. I work for the state of Texas and I have to work a second job just to be able to meet my needs not wants but needs. It very frustrating when you work hard and cant even enjoy none of it. I am all down for companies coming into town but what are they paying is the question? we don’t need anymore low paying jobs.

  3. The road through Prairie Lea has been on his agenda for years. Why ruin the cemetery when there are other alternatives.

  4. I’m saddened by the lack of fiscal rest shown by the City Council. When is the last time you actually looked at demographics. How many people who are property owners actually live here full time.. how many people receive benefits for housing that don’t pay taxes… the the average middle class citizens had to suck up.. how many homeowners are retirees… what is the median age and salary… can you really justify and actually go to sleep at night by adding this increased tax burden to the citizens of Brenham.

  5. The reason Mr. Goss wanted the 2 cents tax increase for a new street. Well the new street would have cut Prairie Lea Cemetery in half. This would destroy the cemetery.

  6. Danny Goss as a councilman is unproductive, self-serving, and grossly unqualified to be on the council. He is repeatedly the “Only No Vote” on countless measures approached by the council but where is the councilman when these measures are being discussed. He keeps his mouth shut when it counts, and spouts off in an effort to save face, when it doesn’t really matter. His comments about “it’s a workshop…” truly show that he only cares to speak his mind once the decision is decided on, and it is too late to actually make a difference. Our Fire Chief keeps adding staff to the Fire Department because they don’t know how to keep volunteers, our city doesn’t pay employees at it’s lower level anything, and the upper administration gets paid much more than they deserve. The police department is constantly under-staffed and for that reason their overtime budget is constantly in the red. All we invest money in around here is parks, libraries and animal control buildings that do not grant us the return on our investment that we need to be seeing. The reason they keep having to raise taxes, is because of ineffective work by our elected officials to make meaningful change in the way the city is ran. Until they start taking these things more seriously, nothing will change. Need to start pushing people out of the City Staff and City elected officials need to start getting challenges before anything will happen.

    1. I could not have said it better. Mr Goss has his eye on the position of Mayor, So he needs to be able to say ” I have always stood up for the people” The rest of the city council don’t care if a person on fixed income may have to do without Medicine or food, in order to afford their property taxes, I am ashamed of Brenham for their greed and non regard of the working class of Brenham. Your post is spot on.

  7. Fiscal policy decisions necessarily involve the fundamental question of bigger vs. smaller government. The more people ask their government to do, the more expensive government will get.

  8. Cut back salaries, workers, less expensive buildings., seen street workers in bunches just standing around, not working, lots of $$ being wasted

  9. Why doesn’t anyone understand that the Brenham City Council doesn’t give a xxxx what the taxpayers say. The taxpayers don’t matter because they are just a source of income that can be continuously tapped. City taxes up, property taxes up, cost of living up, fuel costs up, health care up. Doesn’t matter to them. If we continue to be sheep we’re going to get fleeced or eaten by the wolves. Also be aware there are wolves in sheep’s clothing on the council. We really need some Sheepdogs on the Brenham City council.

  10. Why is this news? TAXES TAXES TAXES…its seems most government, whether local or federal thinks that the general public can keep funding their activities no matter what. Property taxes keep raising yet the actual value of the properties don’t, that will be a major problem in the future if it isnt addressed and stopped soon. There are other ways that projects can be funded and salaries can be paid, creativity is needed, thats all. Something needs to be figured out soon as the gap between the citizens and govt grows wider with each selfish decision that govt makes….

    1. Police Protection, Infrastructure, Health and Public Safety. This is all we need from the government. Pay for this and that is it !
      Unfortunately, government has grown into special interest groups. Special interest groups should be completely self sufficient. This would promote free enterprise. This is the way it use to be. Do you agree ?

  11. Johnny come lately….,or should it be…,.Danny Goss come lately ??? I guess it is good that councilman Goss is not with the Fire Dept. I’m glad he is not Mayor; this is bad enough. Goss you spoke up too late.

    1. Good Goss, Batman! Why is it when it comes to our taxes, Mr. Goss waits until the 11th hour to say anything, but when it comes to my vacant lot and my trailer, he is Johnny on the spot with code enforcement (harassment). Am I under special surveillance?

      1. I agree he has rode by my house several time when I have had my travel trailer in the driveway for the weekend and sure enough Monday morning I get a visit from the jerk with code enforcement telling me it’s against city ordinance to park my travel trailer in my driveway where I pay 4K taxes a year to own!!!

  12. Many thanks to fiscally conservative Danny Goss for standing up for the abused property tax payers and the overall well being of the city. He is a breath of fresh air on council. A wise, working, business man, and the only council member with common sense. Well to do council members are completely out of touch with the ordinary working citizen. They do not have a clue. Looking forward to a true fiscally conservative mayoral candidate next election, who can lead council to cut the bloated budget and top heavy staff. Hopefully more than the cocktail set will show up at the polls.

    1. Thank you Mr. Dillingham for speaking up as well. One of the reasons that started the Revolutionary War was taxation without representation. The king of England wanted more money for himself and his kingdom. The colonists said no! They couldn’t afford to take care of their own and pay for the kings every whim and fancy. This sounds eerily familiar to what’s going on with the tax rate in Brenham. The common folk (hard working citizens and the elderly) are being forced out of their homes because they cannot afford to live there. I have to live on a budget because I can’t ask my husband’s boss for more money because I want a new car or to hire a housekeeper. Enough is enough. If this council isn’t stopped, there is no end in the increase in valuations and tax rates. Instead of budgeting and eliminating unnecessary things (like staff), they increase our monetary obligations! Money, money, money is what they want. Sad thing is, it’s not their money they are using. It’s ours. Let’s stand up Brenham! Let’s vote in a conservative mayor who will stop the greedy “kings” and keep living in Brenham affordable. And next city council election, vote OUT these greedy council people!

      1. Please note that the folks showing up to council meetigs objecting to these new taxes are Democrats – Sally, george, etc. the supposedly conservative council members don’t care!! They are just paying lip service to voters.

        1. I didn’t know their party affiliation. Personally I don’t care what party they are a part of. We need fiscally conservative people who will spend our money wisely and stop raising the valuations of our homes and raising tax rates. It doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat, Republican, or Independent. Listening to your constituents and being fiscally conservative with our money is key to being a good and faithful public servant. Thank you Eric for your information.

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