Maverick County Taxpayers challenging Commissioners Court incorrect calculation of proposed 2016 Property Tax Rate, obtain signatures for Tax Rate Rollback

By: Miguel Munoz,  Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

A group of concerned Maverick County taxpayers allege that Maverick County Commissioners Court miscalculated the Notice of 2016 Tax Year Proposed Property Tax Rate for General Fund for Maverick County published in a local newspaper by not including the amount of $3,040,863 in sales tax revenues per year which the County receives from a one-half cent sales tax in the calculation of the proposed 2016 Property Tax Rate, resulting in a tax rate increase over eight (8%) percent for 2016 and subject to a tax rollback petition by taxpayers.

The published Maverick County Notice of 2016 Tax Year Proposed Property Tax Rate for General Fund correctly provides in Section 28 (B) that the County collected and spent sale taxes of $3,040,863 on Maintenance and Operations expenses in 2015, but fails to incorrectly provide this same $3,040,863 sales tax revenues collected and spent in 2015 for M & O expenses in the subsequent Section 42 of the Notice by listing $0 (zero) for estimated sales tax revenue calculation, understating or miscalculating the 2016 Maverick County Tax Rollback Tax Rate, adjusted for sales tax at $0.586535 instead of the correct tax rollback rate of $0.45.  The result is that the proposed tax rate increase proposed by Maverick County Commissioners Court for 2016 of $0.586535 is greater than the eight percent allowed without a tax rollback.  Thus, the concerned taxpayers are outraged that Maverick County Commissioners Court have negligently and/or recklessly miscalculated the proposed 2016 tax rollback rate, making it subject to a tax rollback Petition by taxpayers.

The concerned taxpayers have met with Maverick County Tax-Assessor Collector Isamari S. Villarreal to discuss their revelation and reportedly acknowledged a plausible error in the omission of the sales tax revenues in the calculation for the 2016 tax rollback rate.

Maverick County Auditor Sandra Watkins has also been advised of the omission of the sales tax revenues in the calculation of the proposed 2016 Maverick County Tax Rate and the effective rollback tax rate.

Maverick County Commissioners Court have also been apprised of the omission and they have requested general counsel Woody   to research the legal issue and report back to Commissioners Court.

Maverick County Commissioners Court only has until September 30, 2016 to approve its proposed 2016 Tax Rate or to correct the error and omission in approving a proper tax rate.  Commissioners Court had previously approved a tax rate of $0.586535 per $100 ad valorem property valuation for 2016 on September 12, 2016, but now this may be in jeopardy and require new special meetings to correct the alleged error and omission of the $3,040,863 sales tax revenues collected and used for Maintenance and Operations in 2015.

In the meantime, the concerned Maverick County Taxpayers are distributing a tax rollback petition and accepting registered Maverick County voters to sign their tax rollback petition against Maverick County’s proposed 2016 tax rate of $0.586535 in several locations in the community. The taxpayers oppose Maverick County Commissioners Court approving a tax rate for 2016 greater than the eight percent allowed by state law, particularly in light of the historical and unconscionable high ad valorem property tax appraisals done by the Maverick County Appraisal District for 2016 which provides a significant tax revenues collection to Maverick County and all other local tax entities.

Maverick County Commissioners Court is the only local tax entity which approved a tax rate increase for 2016, while the Eagle Pass Independent School District is the only tax entity to actually approve a tax rate decrease for 2016 and both the City of Eagle Pass and Maverick County Hospital District kept the same tax rate as in 2015.

Maverick County Commissioners Court is composed of County Judge David R. Saucedo and Commissioners Rosy Cantu, Roberto Ruiz, Pete Venegas, and Jerry Morales.  All of them unanimously approved the tax rate increase.

All Maverick County taxpayers are encouraged to a tax rollback petition signing day on Monday, October 10, 2016 from 10:30 A.M. To 1 P.M.  At the Roma Apartments located at 452 Washington Street, Eagle Pass, Texas.  For more information, please call (210) 920-5404 or email them at: epmavtx@yahoo.com.