BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The Bell County Commissioner's Court voted no on a 100% tax exemption for qualifying childcare facilities.
- Bell County commissioners voted 4–1 against a property tax exemption for Rising Star-certified child care centers, despite support from local providers like Temple daycare owner Ebony Marriott.
- Commissioner Louie Minor supported the exemption, saying it would cost the county just $80,000 and provide needed relief to working families.
- County Judge David Blackburn cited financial concerns and timing issues, noting Bell County already has 36 tax breaks totaling $40 million in lost revenue.
Check out the story:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A Temple childcare provider says a property tax exemption could have made a big difference for her small business, but on Monday, Bell County commissioners voted 4–1 against the proposal.
“Those extra funds and tax breaks would be very helpful,” said Ebony Marriott, a longtime daycare owner in Temple.
Marriott has spent more than two decades in the childcare industry. While she says things used to be manageable, the current financial climate has been especially tough.
“It’s a lot of childcare providers here in town that are struggling,” Marriott said. “And they still have to pay taxes and staff a living wage, and that’s what shuts the doors.”
The Bell County Commissioners Court voted against exempting Rising Star-certified childcare centers from paying property taxes. These centers meet specific state requirements designed to improve early childhood education standards.
“Not only are you pinching pennies because food is going up and supplies are going up, but you know just our paper products have doubled,” Marriott added.
County Judge David Blackburn was among those who voted no, citing concerns about timing and fiscal responsibility.
“Even if this exemption was voted on and even if I voted for it, it would not have gone into effect in the next tax year,” Blackburn said.
Blackburn also noted that Bell County currently has 36 tax exemptions in place, which he says accounts for about $40 million in lost revenue.
However, Precinct 4 Commissioner Louie Minor was the lone "yes" vote. He argued that the benefit to working families far outweighed the cost to the county.
“We have to support working families in Bell County,” Minor said. “The county already spends millions of dollars without a second thought on things. This is a small investment on working families.”
Minor estimated the exemption would have cost the county about $80,000 since only a handful of centers would have qualified.
“In my mind, it was also very difficult at this time to grant an additional exemption when we’re asking the state for money on another exemption,” Blackburn said.
Minor, however, is not giving up.
“I plan on bringing this up every chance I get to support our daycare facilities,” he said.
For Marriott, the exemption could have helped her invest in long-awaited improvements at her center and offer better support to her staff.
“To actually have those extra funds—the teachers deserve so much more,” she said.
Both Minor and Blackburn mentioned this possibly won't be the last time we see this proposal up for vote.
