BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD PROPOSES REDUCED TAX RATE

KWHI.com

Brenham ISD trustees are proposing a reduction of just under 2 cents in the school district’s property tax rate in the coming fiscal year.

The board voted today (Tuesday) to formally propose a tax rate of $0.75 per $100 valuation, made up of $0.67 for maintenance and operations (M&O) and $0.08 in interest and sinking (I&S). The current tax rate is $0.7693 per $100; the newly proposed rate cuts the M&O side of the existing rate by $0.0193 and keeps the I&S portion the same.

Chief Financial Officer Darrell St. Clair said school districts are required by law to adopt M&O tax rates that align with state compression guidelines and are linked to a district’s property value growth. Since property values locally are climbing faster than the state’s expected rate of growth, that means the district’s tax rate has to come down.

Based on calculations from the Texas Education Agency through a local property value survey, Brenham ISD’s maximum M&O rate that can be adopted is $0.6669 per $100. However, St. Clair suggested setting the proposed rate at $0.67 per $100 in case of any possible fluctuations in calculations, as once a rate is formally proposed, the district cannot go higher, but it can go lower. He admitted, though, that he does not expect any changes between now and when the rate is finally adopted.

A public hearing for the tax rate and the proposed budget will be held during the board’s next regular meeting on Monday, August 26^th at 6 p.m. at Brenham High School.