Eagle Pass Independent School District Board of Trustees approve slight tax decrease for 2016-2017 Fiscal Year

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

The Eagle Pass Independent School District (EPISD) Board of Trustees held a special meeting on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 in which they held a public hearing to discuss the 2016-2017 fiscal year budget and proposed tax rate, approving a resolution setting the Operating Budget for the 2016-2017 Fiscal School Year and Tax Rate at $ 1.155 per $100 ad valorem valuation compared to last year’s 2015-2016 Tax Rate of $1.161910 per $100 valuation-a slight decrease.

The approved EPISD tax rate is broken down for maintenance and operations at $1.04005 per $100 and for School Debt Service at $0.11538 per $100 valuation.

The new tax rate approved is a slight decrease as compared to last year of approximately one cent at $0.01203 per $100 valuation.

During 2015, the EPISD had an increase tax rate of $0.01387 per $100 with a $1.161910 tax rate per $100 valuation while in 2014 the tax rate was $1.15417 per $100 valuation.

The EPISD estimates collecting total revenues of $124,090,794 (Million), averaging $8,156 per student.The EPISD proposed budget is at $121,117,567 (Million) or $7,916 per student.

Estimated local revenues are $22,911672(Million) at $1,506 per student with the proposed budget of $22,965,082 (Million) or $1,509 per student. The estimated state revenues for this school year are $100,293,020 (Million) or $6,592 per student and the proposed budget expenditures from these funds are at $97,265,153 (Million) or $6,393 per student. The estimated Federal revenues for this coming school year are $886,102 or $58 per student.

The majority of appropriations are designated for instruction at $68,513,809 (Million) or $4,503 per student. The second highest expenditure is for Plant Maintenance and Acquisition at $14,230,821 (Million) at $935 per student.

The EPISD Board of Trustees is the only local governmental entity offering taxpayers relief through a tax decrease. The City of Eagle Pass and Maverick County Hospital District have announced keeping the same tax rate as last year, while Maverick County Commissioners Court is the only one seeking at tax rate increase at the maximum rate allowed of eight percent before a tax rollback is required despite receiving an increase of revenues from the historic record-setting high appraisal evaluations done by the Maverick County Appraisal District for 2016.

The EPISD Board of Trustees is composed of President Lupita Fuentes, Vice-President Dr. Hilda Martinez, Secretary Dr. Hector Alvarez, Glenna Purcell, Ignacio “Nacho” Saucedo, Humberto Torralba II, and Rudy Bowles.