Eagle Passans Oppose City’s Proposed Tax Rate Increase
By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Three local citizens have spoken against the proposed six cents tax rate increase at recent meetings and public hearings held by the Eagle Pass City Council with citing their personal and community’s opposition to the continuous raising of local ad valorem property taxes by the City of Eagle Pass as well as other local tax entities.
During the citizen’s communication portion of the special meeting held on Tuesday, August 18, 2015, Lina Cobo voiced her objection to the City Council’s proposed six cents tax rate increase, questioning the reasoning behind the tax rate increase.
“It’s a privilege to be here, to live in a free country and to be heard. I want to thank you for being our voice because you have been elected by us to represent us to take care of us. We understand that it’s a hard job for you to do. We understand sometimes we make good choices and sometimes we make bad ones. I’m here to tell you that I invite you to go and walk the streets and see how people live in Eagle Pass and how they hardly make a living. The majority are really struggling. And this tax business of raising taxes, I just come to tell you, enough! Give us a break! Give the people of Eagle Pass a break! I understand that there are commitments to be met, but I invite you all to go and see how the people that you represent, that you speak for, really live. Please, take the time and look at your people and see that their wages aren’t going to rise but their taxes are. Please have mercy on us and give us a break,” eloquently said Cobo.
Cobo noted her objection to the proposed six cents tax rate increase by the City Council for the City of Eagle Pass’s 2015-2016 fiscal year. Cobo raised genuine and legitimate concerns of thousands of Eagle Passans whom oppose the proposed six cents tax rate increase by City Council under the leadership of Mayor Ramsey English Cantu, Mayor Pro-Tem Rudy Villalpando, and Council members Gloria E. Hernandez, Luis E. Sifuentes, and Yolanda P. Ramon.
Emma Alvarado, a community resident of Eagle Pass, also addressed the Eagle Pass City Council concerning her personal objection to the proposed six cents tax rate increase for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
“I am here representing a large amount of the voters and we are not happy with the tax increase you are proposing to levy. A lot of people, especially of older age, live on a set, fixed income and they don’t have the means to pay such high tax increases. We ask you to really think about it before increasing our taxes, and if such increase is necessary please use the funding collected from our taxes wisely,” said Alvarado.
At the August 25, 2015 public hearing, local businessman William Clayton Brown, Jr. addressed the Eagle Pass City Council to advise them that the City of Eagle Pass should not raise the ad valorem property taxes by almost six cents because it affects his construction business as well as his customers whom he does construction projects, including the citizens of Eagle Pass. Brown advised City Council that the proposed six cents tax rate increase for next year will hurt local citizens and businesses, whom cannot afford any more tax increases.
Although only three citizens have addressed City Council regarding their opposition to the proposed six cents tax rate increase, there are thousands more who oppose the City Council’s proposed six cents tax rate increase for next year. The community is buzzing with sentiments against repeated tax rate increases by the City Council. From local family dinner tables to coffee groups to local restaurants, the talk around town is how the City of Eagle Pass and other local tax entities are going to raise their ad valorem property taxes, particularly after the Maverick County Appraisal District raised many of their residential and commercial property appraisals this year-causing them to have to pay more taxes.
Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu thanked Cobo, Alvarado, and Brown for their public comments regarding the proposed six cents tax rate increase for next year by the City of Eagle Pass.
The City of Eagle Pass proposed ad valorem tax rate increase for fiscal year 2015-2016 is almost six cents per $100 valuation which was approved during the City Council’s August 4, 2015 meeting, which approved the first reading of an Ordinance establishing the tax rate for 2015-2016 fiscal year budget.
The proposed tax rate is broken down at $0.368052 per $100 valuation for payment of maintenance and operations and another $0.205228/100 for payment of principal and interest on outstanding debt of the City for a combined rate of $0.573280 per $100 valuation of appraised real property by the Maverick County Appraisal District.
This tax rate increase is in addition to the recently increased real property appraisals done by the Maverick County Appraisal District, which includes some properties appraisals increased as high as 26 to 29 percent from the previous year, thus imposing a double tax increase on City of Eagle Pass taxpayers.
The Maverick County Appraisal District was forced to increase residential and commercial property values for 2015-2016 in order to offset a decrease of $100 Million of the Mineral Property appraisals in Maverick County for 2015-2016. In other words, Eagle Pass and Maverick County taxpayers are having to foot the loss of the $100 Million in Mineral Property appraised values from the Maverick County Appraisal District Certified Tax Roll for 2015-2016 by having some of their residential and commercial property appraisals increased by 26 to 29 percent than the previous year.
During the August 4, 2015 meeting, former Eagle Pass City Manager Gloria Barrientos recommended the tax increase to City Council: “This is an increase of about six (6) cents and this includes the roll back rate which is the recommendation,” said former City Manager Gloria Barrientos.
Barrientos stated that this year’s tax rate is scheduled to raise more funds for maintenance and operations than last year’s tax rate. “The tax rate will be effectively raised by 8%,” added Barrientos.
The Eagle Pass City Council is set to give final approval of an ordinance setting the tax rate increase and the order to levy such tax rate before September 30, 2015.
A review of City of Eagle Pass public records shows that the ad valorem property tax rate has been increasing annually, except one year in 2013, for the past six years.
In 2009, the ad valorem tax rate was at $0.35616/$100 valuation; in 2010 it rose to $0.40582/ $100 valuation; in 2011 it increased to $0.44803/ $100 valuation; in 2012 it rose to $0.465570/ $100 valuation; in 2013 it had a slight decrease to $0.46543/ $100 valuation; and in 2014 it rose to $0.510724/$100 valuation. For the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the City of Eagle Pass is proposing to raise the ad valorem tax rate by six cents to a sky rocketing $0.573280 per $100 valuation.
During the past six years, the City of Eagle Pass and its City Council have increased the tax rate by 15.4 cents per $100 valuation. If the City Council approves the proposed six cents tax rate increase for 2015, this will increase City taxpayers tax rate by 21 cents during the past seven years. This tax rate information is from the Maverick County Appraisal District public records of the City of Eagle Pass tax rate history.
According to Maverick County Appraisal District public records, City of Eagle Pass taxpayers’ total tax rate burden from all local tax entities, including the City of Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Eagle Pass Independent School District, and Maverick County Hospital District, is $2.292994/$100 valuation in 2014; In 2013 they paid $2.2506/$100 valuation; in 2012 the combined tax levy was at $2.2759/$100 valuation; in 2011 it was $2.20140/$100 valuation; and in 2010 the total combined taxes paid was $2.04571/$100 valuation.
The information provided under tax rates in this article can be found at http://www.maverickcad.org/page4/page4.html under tax rates.
