BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF TAX RATE
The Brenham City Council will look to adopt a new tax rate at its meeting Thursday.
The city is considering adoption of a tax rate of 51.4 cents per $100 valuation. This consists of an unchanged operations and maintenance (O&M) property tax rate of 32 cents per $100, and an interest and sinking (I&S) rate reduced from 19.7 cents to 19.4 cents per $100.
While the rate is lower on paper, higher property values mean the new rate is above the effective rate of 47.4 cents, and will produce higher revenues.
According to the Washington County Appraisal District, the average homestead in Brenham this year is valued at $175,979, compared to $162,511 last year. With the proposed tax rate, the net annual tax for the average homeowner would be $904.53, up $64.35 from last year’s $840.18 with the old tax rate, a 7.6 percent increase.
This year’s certified values from the Washington County Appraisal District total $1.45 billion, a $135 million increase over last year’s adjusted values. With the unchanged O&M rate, the city expects to generate $382,000 in additional tax revenue, including an additional $43,000 for the newly created Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Fund.
The council is looking to schedule public hearings on the proposed tax rate for August 14th and September 5th.
Also at Thursday’s meeting, the council will address off-street parking requirements. The council will consider revising the standard parking space dimensions, after Planning and Zoning Commissioners last week approved reducing the minimum parking space sizes for 45, 60, and 90-degree spaces. Staff also proposed a minimum parking space size for compact parking spaces.
The city is considering reducing the existing parking dimensions to 9 feet by 20 feet, down from 10 feet by 20 feet. Staff say approval of the amended off-street parking requirements will allow for more parking on property redeveloping or developing for the first time in Brenham—namely, the Baker Katz shopping center project.
The council will also consider:
- Adoption of a debt management policy.
- Creation of a tax reinvestment zone for Del Sol Foods, Inc.
- Changes to zoning for Circle K’s proposed convenience store on Highway 105 and Blinn’s proposed monument sign along West Fifth Street, between Prairie Lea and High Streets.
- A bid for a contract related to the 2018 Louanna Estates drainage project rebid.
- A resolution authorizing the acceptance of infrastructure improvements in the Oak Alley Phase I and Phase II subdivision.
- A specific use permit for Texas Plumbing Supply, to allow for open/outdoor display or storage of retail merchandise as an accessory use.
The council will meet Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m., at City Hall.
Smaller parking spaces in a town dominated by trucks and SUV’s makes no sense. We will have to use 2 parking spaces. We can hardly park in front of Must Be Heaven with the narrow spaces and poor parking by drivers!