The City Council in West Orange authorized a proposed tax rate for next fiscal year during its meeting Monday. City Secretary Theresa Van Meter presented the council with figures for the new cap mandated by the state legislature of a 3.5 percent increase and for the 8 percent increase allowed for municipalities in a disaster area.
When it came time for the vote by the council members, Van Meter described the voter approve tax rate which would avoid a rollback election. “The voter approve tax rate is .47697, that is the highest that we could go up without it going to the voters, so if you leave it at just .470 then we’re still under that ledge and we’re good. That’s the same rate that we’ve had for a couple years,” Van Meter explained.
The City Council then unanimously approved $0.47 per 100 dollars value as the proposed tax rate for next year. A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, at 5:00 PM. Another public hearing will follow that one at 5:15 PM on the proposed tax rate. The next City Council meeting will be Monday, September 14, which is when the budget and the tax rate are to be adopted.
The Texas Municipal League Region 16 officers were voted on by the council. The votes were cast for W. L. Pate for president, Larry Spears, Jr. for vice president, Cindy Burchfield for secretary, and David Rutledge as board representative.
Prior to the start of the meeting was a public hearing on the application for a Community Development Block Mitigation Grant with the Texas General Land Office (GLO). Grant administrator Beth Eddings with Traylor & Associates shared the details of the $2.5 billion grant funds being offered by the GLO. The minimum grant is for $3 million with the maximum grant being for up to $100 million. The deadline for West Orange to apply for the grant is October 28.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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