SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON BRENHAM TAX RATE, THURSDAY
A second public hearing over the proposed tax rate for the City of Brenham is part of Thursday’s meeting of the Brenham City Council.
Earlier this month, city staff members proposed that the council adopt a tax rate of 50.7 cents per hundred dollar valuation, which is 3.4 cents higher than the current tax rate for the City of Brenham. That amounts to a 7.64 percent increase in taxes paid by individuals and businesses who own property within the city limits.
The tax rate increase is expected to generate an additional $277,230 to help fund a proposed $60.4 million budget for the City of Brenham.
Next year’s budget is actually $2.3 million less than the current year’s budget which included construction of the new library and animal shelter.
Brenham City Manager Terry Roberts says the tax increase is needed to fund the addition of three paid firefighters to the Fire Department.
Possible approval of the $60.4-million budget is on the agenda following the public hearing.
The City Council is set to meet Thursday afternoon at 1:00 at the Brenham City Hall on West Vulcan Street.
Why doesn’t city council eliminate one of the useless Director ( non essential services) positions and eliminate the added assistant to the Assistant City Manager positions? Those overpaid jobs would pay for the new needed firemen. Is the city providing liability insurance for the WWII vintage aircraft park display? If council really cared about citizens, they would look at any added regular expenses added since last budget and eliminate them. And while their at it, find another word for their unbridled spending of tax dollars besides “budget”. They clearly have no idea of the term. It is called, ” living within your means, or income”. The rest of us cannot just raise our incomes when we wish to spend more. And they give no consideration to anyones pleas at the farce they call public hearings.
I have to agree with reply! Several years ago they eliminated the City Attorney position which was also the Asst City Manager now they have two positions for that one they had several years ago. Terry Roberts keeps adding personnel and raising taxes and city councilman think he’s the best think since sliced bread! ENOUGH OF THIS WASTEFUL SPENDING and asking the citizens to pay for it!! Wonder how much his raise will be this year, another 4-6%???
This council and city manager are a total disgrace and all need to be replaced. It is time that we get some intelligent people in these positions and stop this open check book policy. Most of these members have silver spoons in their mouths while the rest cant tell the spoon from the fork. They just want their picture in the paper with the silver shovel. City Manager wouldnt know how to balance a check book more less create a budget.. All they know is spend spend spend and they all just go along with it because they dont know how to make an argument against.
No Incumbents we need No Incumbents. The future city election in 2017 needs to be a time for cleaning house at Brenham City Hall. The elected officials keep raising taxes. Keep hiring more incompetent management or directors, or giving raises to existing incompetent management. And, what do we get? We the citizens have streets that are in the worst condition ever and higher property taxes. Bad custodians of our tax dollars do not belong in Government. Make your future vote count. Don’t let Brenham become an overburdened citizen taxed suburb of Houston.
Speaking of streets, didnt the city purchase some paving monstrosity a few years ago so they could keep the streets paved? What happen to that, they sell it on Ebay?
Every road resurface job I see is another company contract. What happen to that expensive hunk of equipment we bought to do it ourselves.
I believe the public works director is getting ready to take the training wheels his new paving equipment. They used it on those little culdesacs off Millcreek Rd. Where the city planner allowed those new lots instead of widening Mill Creek Rd.