Present: Judge Cinderela Guevara, Commissioners Brenda Bentley, Loretto Vasquez, Eloy Aranda.
Convene meeting at 12:06 PM.
Public Comments: None
Announcements from County Judge and Commissioners: Judge says that she will wait until tomorrow to make her comments. No commissioners announcements.
Judge reminds everyone that meeting is tomorrow at 9:30 AM in Marfa.
Second tax rate hearing will be on Sept 19th, adopt budget either on Fri the 22nd or Mon 25th. Asks commissioners which is best for them. Aranda has school duties, says that Friday the 22nd is fine. Vasquez agrees.
Item 6- Public hearing on tax rate. Proposed tax rate is .63744 Preceding year's Tax Rate: .67804. Effective Tax Rate: .56706. Rollback Tax Rate: .63734.
Judge says that County is in relatively better financial shape overall than in some previous years.
New property added to tax roll this year: $62,583. Overall increase in taxes raised: $320,467. 11.9%
Pipeline taxes not included.
Appraisal of pipeline at 88 million by Capital Appraisal. Challenged by Pipeline Co. Settled at 44 million. Will raise approx $330,397 in new taxes for County next year. Next year all of pipeline will be subject to tax. County will not kno until 2019 how much County will receive annually.
FERC will value numbers at that point, including profit.
66.7 miles of pipeline will be in total. This year's subject to only 30 miles of pipeline that had been laid in the ground by Jan.2017.
County will give employees a small raise this year. $1,000 per person, including elected officials. This applies to all County employees.
Constable Coker asks if there will be any more meetings in Presidio. Judge says that 2nd meeting in Sept should be in Presidio at end of the month.
Possible that all County issues will be wrapped up with budget meetings and second Presidio meeting will be unnecessary.
Judge asks commissioners if there are any addtional questions.
Aranda is glad tax rate is coming down. County has been working to do this for a long time, glad progrees is being made.
Over 200 people protested their valuations with teh Appraisal Review Board. Record number. State has been pushing the Appraisal District to raise values across the board.
Vasquez says the AG exemption has changed, Marfa area must have at least 25 acres to qualify, Presidio area must have at least 5 acres.
Who makes thi regulation? Judge asks. Vasquez believes it is a Texas Dept of Agriculture reg. No, it's from the Highlands Soil Conservation District. Richard Petree from Appraisal District told the Soil Conservation DIstrict it needed to be done, says Vasquez.
Discussion as to why this was adopted and adopted without notice. Judge says she can set up a conference call about this with them if commissioners want answers.
Vasquez says he wishes that more research had been done on this before it was decided upon. Affected a lot of poor people, particularly in Presidio.
Judge says she will set up a call and she and the Commissioner can get more information as to what the regiulations are.
Aranda agrees that this is very important. Says that Appraisal Distrcit members, including himself, need to put a halt to rising valuations. Driving natives out of their properties with high valuations.
No further comments.
Item 7- close Public Hearing.motion made by Aranda. Public Hearing closed at 12:41 PM, 2nd by Vasquez. Unanimous.
Adjourned at 12:41 PM.
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