BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT BUDGET AND TAX RATE, CONSIDER SALES TAX AGREEMENT WITH ACADEMY
The Brenham City Council will look to adopt the new year’s budget and tax rate at its meeting Thursday.
After public hearings, councilmembers will vote on approving the budget, which authorizes $89.5 million in expenditures and raises approximately $629,495, or 6.7 percent, more in property tax revenue than last year’s budget. That includes $210,319 in revenue from new property added to the tax roll.
They will then proceed with levying property taxes at $0.4584 per $100 valuation, consisting of $0.3102 for maintenance and operations and $0.1482 for interest and sinking. The rate is lower than the previous year’s tax rate of $0.4737 per $100, but is still effectively a 3.1 percent increase due to higher property values.
Other business for the council will include action on a Chapter 380 agreement between the city and the new Academy Sports + Outdoors. The agreement outlines $1.5 million in sales tax reimbursement to Academy, split three ways between the city, Washington County and the Brenham Community Development Corporation.
The percentage annual share of the sales tax revenue that Academy receives will be 80 percent throughout the term of the agreement, which concludes once the city has reimbursed $500,000 or on December 2, 2033, whichever occurs first.
Councilmembers will also look to advance the city’s airport master plan for review by TxDOT’s Aviation Division and the Federal Aviation Administration. Following their approval, the plan will go back to the city council for formal adoption.
Also on Thursday, the council will:
- Act on a resolution to repeal a prior resolution approving an interfund loan between the city’s sanitation and water funds to repay an advancing line of credit with Bank of Brenham for the raw water intake structure repair project. In July 2020, the city approved a $5 million promissory note with Bank of Brenham for an advancing line of credit for interim financing to pay for the project. With the advancing line of credit maturity date of July 1, 2021 and outstanding balance of $1,351,075, an interfund loan was approved by the city council in June 2021 to repay the bank. The interfund loan was for $1 million, with the remaining balance of $351,075 being paid for with water fund reserves. According to the agenda packet, city staff recommends the remaining $815,000 in principal balance of the loan be forgiven, given the immediate needs of water capacity expansion for the city and in order to reduce the impact that capital expenses from the expansion have on water rates.
- Consider a resolution repealing and rescinding previous resolutions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 29, prohibiting local governments form implementing or enforcing COVID-preventative measures. The city issued a local disaster declaration in March 2020 consistent with Abbott’s, and the city council last renewed the declaration in September 2020 but never officially rescinded it.
- Hold public hearings and vote on two items recommended for approval last week by the Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission: a rezoning request for 307, 309 and 401 Peabody Street from B-2 Commercial, Research and Technology Use to B-1 Local Business/Residential Mixed Use; and a specific use permit for Powerfam Washes, LLC to build an automatic car wash on a vacant 2-acre tract of land on the east side of the Highway 105 – Sabine Street intersection, zoned for B-1 use.
- Hold an executive session to consult with the city attorney regarding Aviators Plus v. City of Brenham; Cause No. 37896; 21st Judicial District Court, Washington County.
The council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. at Brenham City Hall.
Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.