HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 08.04.2008 CC-SThe City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas, met in Special Session on the above date with Mayor
George Garver presiding.
Council Present.
Patty Eason, Gabe Sansing, Bill Sattler, Pat
Berryman, Dale Ross, Ben Oliver
CouncilAbsent:
Keith Brainard
Staff Present.
Paul Brandenburg, City Manager; Tom Yantis, Assistant City Manager; Jim Briggs, Assistant City
Manager for Utility Operations; Patricia E. Carls, City Attorney; Sandra D. Lee, City Secretary; Micki
Rundell, Director of Finance and Administration; Leticia Zavala, Controller
A Consideration and
possible action to
place
the adoption of the proposed
2008 Tax Rate on a future agenda, and
to set
dates
for
two
public
hearings --
Micki
Rundell,
Director
of
Finance
and
Administration
Rundell said this agenda item is a requirement in the State Truth in Taxation process. With a slide presentation,
she gave Council the following information: the 2008 Assessed Valuation consists of a certified valuation of
$4.1 billion; an average home value of $193,263; an Effective Tax Rate of $0.35078; and the proposed 2008
Tax Rate of $0.35622. She said the Texas Tax Code requires a record vote on setting the public hearing dates
and states the maximum amount that would be considered for a vote at a future Council Meeting. She
explained that Council could go below that rate, but not above that rate. She demonstrated the tax rate
components and gave Council three options.
Sansing asked if there is anything still pending. Brandenburg noted the TMRS rate is the only item still pending,
but the budget doesn't depend on that amount. Sansing said he would like to see extra money to include some
of the items that were not included this year.
Motion by Eason, second by Oliver to place the adoption of the tax rate of $0.37144 cents per $100 valuation,
equaling $0.21575 cents for Maintenance and Operation and $0.15569 cents for debt service, as an action item
at the August 28, 2008 Special Council Meeting to be held at 4:00 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, at the
northeast corner of Seventh and Main Streets, Georgetown, Texas, in order to leave options open, such as
including transportation. Berryman said she thinks that is a solution that can't be considered this year. There
was further discussion. Berryman said what will come out in the paper will be true, but what the people read will
be something that is higher than they ever anticipated. She said she sees that as a bad move if we want to
have a bond election this fall. Sansing said he agrees it might look bad, but he said he would like to see extra
money to include some of the items that were not included this year. Oliver said he agrees that the rollback rate
would give them room to consider what else is needed in this budget, and of course, the final rate will not be that
high, but will give the Council some room to look through the list before it becomes official. Ross said he would
never consider an increase. Berryman said she got constituent input when she was asked to respond to the
priority survey. She said the survey was excellent and contained information valuable to make the decision.
Eason said she got a lot of feedback from her constituents, and said she would like to have the opportunity to
work on the rate until the deadline, in order to make sure everything possible was handled.
Garver asked about the difference in costs for the average home using Option 1 or Option 2. Rundell said it
would be $28.65 per $100 valuation for an average home value of $193,000. Ross said we can't assume that
the City works in a vaccuum, and suggested the City take into account the possible tax rate for the School
District and the County. Garver asked to do a comparison for the average home of $183,000 last year. Rundell
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 4, 2008
Page 1 of 2 Pages
.•
said the
owner of that home paid
$640
last year, and the difference with the ronroack would be $59.31, or with
the City
Manager's proposed tax
rate it
would increase by
$28.65.
Eason said she has no intention of going to the full rollback rate, but that is a limit to work under. Ross noted
that the increase would be 9%.
Vote on the motion: Tied 3-3 Mayor voted to deny. Denied: 4-3
Motion by Sansing, second by Ross to vote to place adoption of a tax rate of $0.35622 cents per $100
valuation, equaling $0.20053 cents for Maintenance and Operation and $0.15569 cents for debt service, as an
action item at the August 28, 2008 Special Council Meeting to be held at 4:00 p.m. at City council Chambers, at
the northeast corner of Seventh and Main Streets, Georgetown, Texas. Vote on the motion: Approved 7-0.
Motion by Ross, second by
Sansing to set two public hearings, as
required by
law, to be held on Tuesday,
August 12, at 6:00 p.m. and
on Monday, August 25, at 4:00 p.m. at
City Council
Chambers, at the northeast
corner of Seventh and Main
Streets, Georgetown, Texas. Vote
on
the
motion:
Approved 7-0.
Garver
The meeting was adjourned at 04:38 PM.
City Council Meeting Minutes/August 4, 2008
Page 2 of 2 Pages
Attest.
f
k n`
City Secretary Sandra Lee