BRYAN, Texas — The contentious struggle over next year’s Brazos County property tax rates continued Monday at the county commissioner’s court, where commissioners enter into a workshop discussion over which rate to approve for 2022-2023.
BACKGROUND:
The debate continued between commissioners Monday afternoon, with Steve Aldrich and Russ Ford standing firm on their beliefs that this fiscal year’s property taxes should not increase in revenue for the county from last year.
According to county notices, the plan approved by commissioners Nancy Berry, Irma Cauley, and county judge Duane Peters would raise taxes next year on a yearly average of $115 per resident ($0.483/$100), raising revenue by 15 percent though their rate for taxpayers proposed is actually 2 percent lower than it was last year.
The rise in cost to residents comes from increased home values.
Aldrich and Ford have boycotted several meetings over the past weeks, refusing to enter into a scenario in which the new tax rate could be voted on without a tabled discussion and negotiation over the new rates.
Commissioners had previously been under the impression that the tax rate had to be decided by the end of this month, but county officials clarified at Monday's workshop that the deadline for deciding the property tax rate is now Oct. 21.
MONDAY'S WORKSHOP:
It was a very emotional day at the workshop on property taxes, with commissioners on both sides of the debate hashing it out over suggested rates, with no conclusion reached.
Commissioners Ford, Aldrich and Cauley, along with Judge Peters were present for the workshop. Ford and Aldrich both said they would be willing to agree to some property tax increase from the no-new-revenue rate - but not a rate that would raise costs to residents by as much as the other commissioners have proposed.
“[A rate of] 0.4435/$100 is neutral to the average homeowner with a homestead exemption in Brazos County," Aldrich said. "That was presented at the budget workshop. [A rate of] 0.4535/$100 is neutral to the budget."
Ford in particular expressed frustration that a consensus could not be reached at this workshop, and that he couldn't have assurance on how Cauley, Berry and Peters would vote on the tax rate at Tuesday’s general meeting.
“What I hoped for today was that we could possibly discuss a tax rate that’s different than what would be proposed and that we could at least get a feeling where the court would move on that," Ford said.
Heated words were exchanged between the sides. Cauley said she was there to hear out Ford and Aldrich.
“I have, from the very beginning, stated how, what I felt or thought," Cauley said. "And I’m not going to take anything back. I think it’s time for us to do the work of the county.”
Aldrich said a tax rate lower than the proposed rate would cost the average homeowner under $24 per year, as opposed to the proposed $115 per year, while still covering established budget items – just not funding $7 million in contingency funds.
Judge Peters argued that funding lost from lower taxation could be necessary for some of the projects which have already been approved.
“If that passes, that will come back up. as we have to borrow money to do the projects we have already identified in our whole area," Peters said.
On the agenda for Tuesday's general meeting, commissioners will discuss ratifying the property tax rate for the next fiscal year.
Cauley told KRHD that she plans on consulting with tax assessors and other experts before making a decision.
Ford and Aldrich told KRHD it is very unlikely they will attend Tuesday's regular meeting.