By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A majority of Del Rio City Council members voted 6-1 to keep the city’s property tax rate next year the same as it was this year.
Councilman Jim DeReus voted against the proposed tax rate, discussed during the Aug. 9 council meeting, saying the city should have lowered next year’s rate based on the fact that the average local property values have increased.
City Finance Director Alberta S. Barrett presented information about the proposed city tax rate for next year to the council.
“We propose to maintain the current tax rate at .7070 per $100 valuation. What is also included in the budget . . . is that along with this, we’re maintaining the tax rate, we’re not increasing the tax rate, and we’re not increasing the water or the wastewater rates, so there’s no increase there. The only increase that we will have will be in the gas, and it will be a 5 percent (increase),” Barrett told the council.
“If you’ll remember our discussion earlier, we had originally talked about 10 (percent increase in the gas rate) and then we backed it down to 5 percent, so that equates to about 51 cents more a month for a citizen,” Barrett added.
The city’s finance director noted that property values increased over the past year.
“I think the other key advantage is, our (local property) values did go up, so our average homestead value increased from about $125,000 to $148,000, and the average tax on those was $882 up to $1,043, so about $161 more,” Barrett said.
After Barrett finished with her short presentation, Mayor Al Arreola asked if any council members had any questions.
Barrett told the council it would be required to take a record vote on the proposed tax rate.
“At this time, I’ll entertain a motion,” Arreola said.
Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. made the motion to proceed with publication of notices for the proposed rate, with Councilman J.P. Sanchez giving the second.
Arreola then proceeded with the roll call vote.
Lopez, Sanchez, Arreola, Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez, Mayor pro-tem Steven Webb and Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon voted in favor of the motion, with DeReus opposed.
After the meeting, DeReus said of his vote, “I voted against the tax rate for next year remaining the same because of the approximately 20 percent increase in property values, thus a 20 percent increase in city revenue. With this unexpected large increase in tax revenue, I think the city can afford to lower the ad valorum tax rate a little to provide some relief.”
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