BLINN BOARD ADOPTS UNCHANGED TAX RATE FOR 2020
OUTGOING TRUSTEE DAN GATEWOOD RECOGNIZED
The Blinn Board of Trustees adopted a resolution to keep the current tax rate moving into the new fiscal year at its meeting Tuesday.
The board’s resolution set the tax rate at 5.6 cents per $100 valuation, lower than the no-new revenue rate of 5.62 cents per $100 and the voter-approval rate of 6.11 cents per $100.
The rate will yield an estimated $2,212,543 in tax revenue in 2021, $6,785 less when compared to 2020. With the new rate, residents of Blinn’s taxing district in Washington County would pay $9.45 in monthly taxes on an average home valued at $202,582.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, trustees authorized the College to proceed with the issuance and sale of 2020 revenue bonds, and the refund of 2010 bonds. The College will use a portion of the $31.1 million 2020 bonds, along with cash reserves, to fund the $32.2 million RELLIS Campus Phase II academic building. The remaining $13.1 million portion of the 2020 bond will be used to refund the 2010 bonds and pay bond issuance costs.
The board also authorized the College to repurpose $797,509 of the remaining 2016 bond proceeds to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Innovation (STEI) Building on the Brenham Campus. The funds were originally approved for the Brenham Campus monument and signage process, as well as a number of substantially complete projects including a new Brenham Campus agriculture building, the replacement of the Brenham Campus Administration Building boiler, Bryan Campus cast stone repair, the RELLIS Campus workforce programs relocation, and RELLIS Campus site grading and parking.
Trustees also adopted a resolution recognizing outgoing trustee Dan Gatewood, who is resigning from the board after being appointed to represent Precinct Four in December 2018. According to board policy, the board will make an appointment to fill the remainder of the term through May 2021.
Trustees also moved to allow the College to negotiate and execute a contract with Bartlett Cocke General Contractors for construction manager at risk services related to the RELLIS Phase II academic building.