tax rate

Alexandria Randolph
Highland Lakes Newspapers
Burnet County Commissioners Court officially decreased the ad valorem tax rate for the second fiscal year in a row.
Commissioners Court met on Tuesday, Aug. 23 and approved an effective tax rate for the 2017 fiscal year that is a 1.4 percent reduction compared to last year’s rate.
Burnet County Judge James Oakley said the new rate, which is .3969 per $100 valuation, will amount to a $369.90 tax per year for a property valued at $100,000.
For those residents whose property values didn’t rise this year, the new tax will represent a 1.4 percent reduction in their county taxes.
The lower effective rate is the “culmination of rising property values in the county,” Oakley said.
“It would have been a lot lower this year, but we had a lot more seniors qualify for the tax freeze.”

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Ridgemont Village, a retirement community at 92 Gateway North, has been named recipient of the first annual Marble Falls Community Pride Award.

The award was first on the agenda of the Marble Falls City Council in a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 16, that included also the first public hearing on a budget and tax rate and an encouraging report on the city's relationship with Baylor Scott & White.

“I want to thank Ridgmont Village for taking part in this effort to enhance the appearanceof our community,” said Mayor John Packer in welcome to Scott and Gail Matthews, owners of the gated, hilltop development, and their manager Kelly Crane.

Crane introduced Adrian and Dee Guinn, saying “Dee was the one who read about the award in the newspaper and nominated us. The Guinns are representative of our residents who care about the place where they live.”

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 GLYNIS CRAWFORD SMITH

THE HIGHLANDER

The Meadowlakes City Council meets next on Aug. 16, but most of their hard end-of-year is done, with the budget hearing and tax rate adoption not set until Sept. 20.

In a special session on July 27, the council adopted a proposed ad valorem tax rate for 2016 of $0.3186 per $100 valuation. That is about six-tenths of a percent less than last year's tax rate.

In her digital newsletter to citizens, Mayor Mary Ann Reasoner compared that decision to a similar choice in Marble Falls to propose continuing their rate, scraping just under the effective rate.