Milam County voters will be asked to approve or reject a new tax in the November general election.
It’s called the Farm-to-Market Road and Flood Control Tax and while it could add 30 cents to the county’s tax rate that’s not likely to happen in “the real world,” according to County Judge Dave Barkemeyer.
And any repercussions from a positive vote would not affect the eventual 2018-19 rate which will be determined by commissioners later this summer, according to Barkemeyer.
The current rate is 70 cents. Barkemeyer has already said it appears a 5-cent increase will be needed, taking the rate to 75 cents.
MATH VS. REALITY—
If approved, it could add 30 cents to the current rate, which could reach 80 cents without triggering a tax rollback election.
That’s almost certainly not going to happen, according to the county judge.
He noted state laws limit tax rates to eight percent over the amount of revenue raised by the current budget or voters may roll back the rate in an election.
That would mean the current property tax rate maxes out at 80 cents.
And the two combined rates—80 cents plus the new (if it passes) 30 cents—would add to up $1.10.
“But that 8-percent rollback restricting would still apply,” Barkemeyer said. “So in any given year commissioners would still (only) increase the tax rate by 8 percent.”
ABSTAIN—Barkemeyer did not vote in favor of calling the election when it appeared before commissioners court earlier this month. He abstained while the four commissioners cast ballots to take the matter before voters this November.
Commissioners first discussed the possibility of a new tax in a workshop as a means to obtain more revenue to maintain roads and bridges in Milam County’s four precincts.
Barkemeyer had also requested each commissioner be allocated $125,000 less in this budget year, a total expenditure savings of $500,000.
It was noted at the workshop that 160 of Texas 254 counties already impose such a tax.
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