The City Council in Bridge City held a teleconference workshop on Thursday to finalize the budget and tax rate for the new fiscal year. Citizens in Bridge City will see a lower tax rate next year.
City Manager Jerry Jones said balancing the budget was difficult because of the Coronavirus pandemic and the restriction by the state legislature of a 3.5 percent cap on any tax rate increase. He emphasized the city is in good shape despite the pandemic which has left a few municipal funds lower, but that were made up in other revenues.
The real burden is the restriction on the tax rate imposed by the state legislature. “It’s almost like they don’t want us to be able to get any additional income at all,” Jones commented.
The calculations by Jones and the City Council are calling for a reduction in the tax rate in Bridge City. Jones said, “When we get through, we will have a decrease in our tax rate by 2.33 percent.”
Jones reminded that the proposed tax rate must be approved by the City Council after a public hearing which has yet to be scheduled. The Bridge City tax rate should drop from $0.55350 to $0.54058 per $100 value for the fiscal year 2020-2021 which starts in October.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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