BLINN BOARD VOTES 5-2 TO RAISE PROPERTY TAX RATE

  

The Blinn Board of Trustees moved 5-2 today (Thursday) to adopt an increased property tax rate.

The new rate of $0.0468 per $100 valuation exceeds the previously adopted rate of $0.0438 per $100 and the no-new-revenue rate of $0.042653, while coming just underneath the voter approval rate of $0.046857.  Trustees Richard O’Malley and Dr. Dennis Crowson opposed the tax rate increase. 

The board spoke at length last month about the state’s rule that requires community colleges to have at least a $0.05 maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate, as well as Blinn’s loss in state appropriations for each year it does not meet that mark.  Blinn is the only community college in Texas with a tax rate under $0.05. 

While Blinn’s Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, Dr. Clen Burton, has stated that he expects the College should be able to pass the $0.05 threshold next year, O’Malley and Dr. Crowson have expressed doubts that it would occur that quickly, with Dr. Crowson saying the College should focus instead on getting the state to revise or remove the $0.05 rule.  Other trustees who voted in favor of the increase said the College should give itself and the taxpayers a chance to hit the $0.05 threshold so that it can recover money from the state. 

The estimated tax levy from the new rate is $3,582,611 and will support the operation and maintenance of the Brenham Campus, which has a Fiscal Year 2027 M&O budget of $6,435,532.  Property taxes represent approximately 2 percent of Blinn’s annual budget, with the majority coming from student revenue and state appropriations.  

With the adopted rate, taxpayers will pay $46.80 per $100,000 of home value annually.  All property tax revenue collected by the Blinn College District must be spent in Washington County.