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Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX INCREASE

A tax rate of $0.42120 per $100 valuation has been proposed by the governing body of Hays County.

PROPOSED TAX RATE $0.42120 per $100
NO-NEW REVENUE TAX RATE $0.40427 per $100
VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE $0.42970 per $100
DE MINIMIS RATE $0.51873 per $100

The no-new-revenue tax rate is the tax rate for the 2020 tax year that will raise the same amount of property tax revenue for Hays County from the same properties in both the 2019 tax year and the 2020 tax year. The voter-approval tax rate is the highest tax rate that Hays County may adopt without holding an election to seek voter approval of the
rate, unless the de minimis rate for Hays County exceeds the voter-approval tax rate for Hays County.

The de minimis rate is the rate equal to the sum of the no-new-revenue maintenance and operations rate for Hays County, the rate that will raise $500,000, and the current debt rate for Hays County. The proposed tax rate is greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means that Hays County is proposing to increase property taxes for the 2020 tax year.

A public hearing on the proposed tax rate will be held on September 08, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at 111 E. San Antonio St. – San Marcos, TX 78666. The proposed tax rate is not greater than the voter-approval tax rate. As a result, Hays County is not required to hold an election at which voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate. However, you may express your support for or opposition to the proposed tax rate by contacting the members of the Commissioners Court of Hays County at their offices or by attending the public meeting. mentioned above.

YOUR TAXES OWED UNDER ANY OF THE ABOVE RATES CAN BE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS:
property tax amount = (tax rate)  X  (taxable value of your property) / 100

The members of the governing body of Hays County voted on the proposed tax increase as follows:

FOR:

Judge Ruben Becerra
Commissioner Lon Shell
Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe
Commissioner Walt Smith
Commissioner Mark Jones

AGAINST:

PRESENT and not voting:

ABSENT:

The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.

The following table compares the taxes imposed on the average residence homestead by Hays County last year to the taxes
proposed to be imposed on the average residence homestead by Hays County this year:

2019 2020 Change
Total Tax Rate (per $100 of value) $0.4237 $0.42120 decrease of -$0.0025 OR -0.59%
Average homestead taxable value $257,755 $269,688 increase of 4.62%
Tax on average homestead $1,092 $1,136 increase of $44 OR 4.01%
Total tax levy on all properties $89,098,417 $93,717,994 increase of $4,619,577

For assistance with tax calculations, please contact the tax assessor for Hays County at 512-393-5545 or jenifer.okane@co.hays.tx.us.

Indigent Defense Compensation Expenditures

Hays County spent $ 1,409,175 from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 to provide appointed counsel for indigent individuals, less the amount of state grants received by the county. In the preceding year, the county spent $1,321,212 for indigent defense compensation expenditures. The amount of increase above last year’s indigent defense expenditures is $87,963. This increased the voter-approval rate by $ 0.00031 / $100 to recoup the increased expenditures.

 

Hays County