Maverick County Hospital District Board Majority approve Tax Rate Increase

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2015

The Maverick County Hospital District Board of Directors approved a one cent tax rate increase from 8 cents per $100 valuation to 9 cents per $100 valuation for fiscal year 2015-2016 on a split 2 to 1 vote at their meeting held on Tuesday, September 29, 2015, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Local octagenarian and news reporter Hector Munoz Mijares was the only citizen who spoke up at the meeting concerning the establishment of the ad valorem tax rate for 2015-2016, speaking in favor of the one cent tax rate increase basing it on the best interests of the healthcare of Maverick County citizens.

MCHD Board member Ronald Hixson motioned to approve the proposed ad valorem tax rate of 9 cents per  $100 valuation previously approved at a September 1, 2015 Board meeting, a one cent increase from the current 8 cents per $100 valuation.  Self-appointed Acting Chairman Juan Manuel Farias stepped down and seconded Hixson’s motion to approve the tax rate increase.

Board Secretary and Treasurer Humberto Duran called for discussion and after discussion called the motion for a vote.  The motion was approved on a split 2 to 1 vote with Hixson and Farias in favor while Duran voted against the tax rate increase.  Board member Ricardo E. Calderon was absent from the meeting due to a scheduling conflict.  Calderon has been an ardent opponent to any tax rate increases in the past.

The 9 cents per $100 valuation tax rate approved exceeds the maximum eight percent allowed by state law from being exempt from a taxpayers rollback petition and election.  The maximum which would have been exempt from a taxpayers petition was 8.67 cents per $100 valuation.  It is unknown if Maverick County taxpayers will attempt to obtain a tax rollback petition requiring 10% of the registered voters in Maverick County.  There are approximately 27,000 registered voters in Maverick County, which require about 2,700 or more voters to sign a tax rollback petition.

Another action taken by the MCHD Board was the approval of a motion to authorize Chief Executive Officer Terri Contreras-Patlan to pursue the hiring of another surgeon, Dr. Alberto Madrid of San Antonio, Texas.  This motion was unanimously approved on a 3-0 vote.