Comprehensive Plan

Horseshoe Bay City Council members will discuss the city's 2016 draft comprehensive report, hold a public hearing on it and consider adopting the report during the next council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 1 Community Drive, Horseshoe Bay.

The plan is the work of the Long Range Planning Advisory Committee, which was appointed by the council in 2015 to develop the plan in order to identify goals the city can work to achieve in order to meet its mission “to serve and protect our citizens while preserving our heritage and Planning Advisory for our future.”

The committee conducting nearly 100 interviews with local individuals to identify the challenges and opportunities facing Horseshoe Bay that needed to be addressed in the long-range plan. A community survey was also conducted with nearly 1,400 responses providing insight into what the community identified as priorities.

BY GLYNIS CRAWFORD SMITH

THE HIGHLANDER

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 2, voted to hold the line on the ad valorem tax rate.

They voted to maintain a rate of $0.6483 or 64.83 cents per $100,000 valuation.

“This proposal keeps the rate just under the effective rate,” said Finance Director Margie Cardenas. “That would have been .6485. The roll back rate would have been .6656. This will be our fifth year in a row to maintain the same tax rate. And, as you are adopting the same rate, two hearings are not required.

“Taxpayers will see no increase unless they have an increase in valuation.”

Cardenas noted that tax payers within the freeze category--65 years of age or older or handicapped--has continued to increase. Nonetheless, the total revenue expected from property taxes is $4,361,498.

By LEW K. COHN

The Highlander

Managing Editor

I listened with interest to the presentation last week on the City of Marble Falls' comprehensive plan, which has been updated through the work of Halff Associates along with the City Council, Economic Development Committee and a Comprehensive Plan Action Committee (CPAC).

One of the more interesting topics which came up as Robert Halff presented the plan was traffic and transportation through Marble Falls, especially on the U.S. Highway 281 corridor. I was especially encouraged when I heard discussion about the possible development of alternate routes to US 281.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Citizens have one more chance today Tuesday, April 12, to review the work on a Comprehensive Plan Update for the City of Marble Falls.

An open house is set for 6 p.m. at Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive.