BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO PROPOSE TAX RATE

  

The Brenham City Council will look to propose a property tax rate for the next fiscal year at its meeting Thursday.

The city currently plans to keep the same tax rate as last year, at $0.4584 per $100 valuation.  The rate is lower than the voter-approval rate of $0.4666 per $100, but it is higher than the no-new-revenue rate of $0.4555 per $100, so a public hearing is required before the council adopts the rate in September.

With the new rate, the city intends to slightly increase the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of the rate from $0.3102 to $0.3164.  The interest and sinking (I&S) side of the rate would drop from $0.1482 to $0.1420.

According to the agenda packet for the meeting, the tax on the average homestead would increase by 13.51 percent, going from $1,098 to $1,247.  The average homestead taxable value in the city is going up from $239,681 to $272,061.

Formal adoption of the tax rate is scheduled for the council’s meetings on September 5^th and 19^th. 

In other items, the council will perform the first reading of an ordinance amending the city’s code for buildings and structures, adopting the 2021 editions of the International Building Code Suite and 2020 National Electric Code.  The city is currently using 2018 International Building Code and 2017 National Electric Code.

A work session will be held to discuss the possible annexation of Dixie Road and Old Masonic Road, as well as their right-of-way, into city limits.  The city is seeking to potentially annex Dixie Road from Highway 36 North to the existing city limit line, due to the ongoing development of the Vintage Farms subdivision.  The area to the west of Old Masonic Road was annexed in 1984 and is the Scenic Estates subdivision; this annexation would move the city limit line from the back of residential properties. 

Also on the agenda, the council will:

• Consider amending the rate tariff schedule for the city’s sanitary sewer system, adjusting surcharge rates for the industrial wastewater service rate schedule.  The city says the current maximum surcharge rates do not cover the cost of operation at the wastewater treatment plant.
• Act on agreements with United Healthcare, Surency and Alliance Work Partners for employee benefits for the plan year lasting from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. 
• Hold a public hearing and potentially grant a specific use permit to Walt Edmunds to allow an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in an R-1, single family residential zoning district on 0.1948 acres in the 300 block of West Third Street.  The lot has a pre-existing 612 square-foot accessory structure that was grandfathered from the 1970s to 2020, when the applicant purchased the property.  However, the ADU was vacant and in disrepair, so it lost its legally nonconforming status.  The applicant submitted building plans to restore the ADU, which would be provided to family and guests.  The Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of the item on July 22^nd, on the condition that the property be replatted.
• Hold executive session discussion with the city attorney on five topics.  They include Commonwealth Development, Inc. v. City of Brenham, Texas, Fair Housing Case No. 06-22-3294-8, involving the proposed tax-credit housing development on Pecan Street that was rejected by the city council in February 2021; the Brenham Municipal Airport; administrative procedures related to various personnel issues; the impact of Lindke v. Freed, 601 U.S. 187 (2024) on First Amendment law, and elected officials’ responsibility related to social media use; and ETC Marketing, LTD v. Ken Paxton, Attorney General of the State of Texas, and the City of Brenham, Texas, Cause No. D-1-GN-24-004577, 53^rd Judicial District Court, Travis County, Texas.  No action is expected to be taken on any of the items. 

The council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. at Brenham City Hall. 

Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.