Published: August 29, 2008 12:25 pm         

Residents speak to county tax rate

By Leslie Gibson

Herald-Banner Staff



Three people spoke to the Rockwall County commissioners and county judge Tuesday night in the tax rate public hearing, with one asking the court to not raise the tax.

The tax has not been raised since 1999, and as of the first draft budget released on July 31, still stands at .35 per $100 valuation. The maximum which the county could set is 39.59.

If the tax rate remains at .35, the amount of taxes imposed on the average home would be $716.09, based on an average home value of $207,622, as stated in the public notice.

Opening the hearing, County Judge Chris Florance, noted that voters in 2004 approved the building of a county library and the 2 cent tax needed to pay for salaries and debt service.

Bob Lewis spoke first from the public, and addressed the $30 million courts building for which the commissioners approved the sale of tax notes, and approved a contract with an architect.

He said he moved to the county four years ago. He said that “twice we have sent you back to the drawing board to avoid devouring prime real estate along I-30 with a $30 million monument to your ambition.”

The twice to which he referred were two previous bond elections, one in 2004 and one in 2005. It was in 2000 that the Interstate 30 frontage was purchased after bond election approval.

“You don’t care what we think,” he told them, after noting the 20 percent raise the commissioners gave themselves last budget cycle.

“To add insult to injury, you have handed over two and a half million in a no-bid contract to design this thing,” he said.

After saying he had been pleased with what he had seen in Rockwall County and City government, he concluded that he was fed up with back room deals, corruption in the district attorney’s office, and betrayal of the voters’ trust. The commissioners are on notice, he said.

Calvin Barnard said he echoed Lewis’s comments. “Folks, you’re on notice,” he told the full commissioners court.

Janice Pool said that having lived in the county since 1979, she was an “interim” daughter to her older neighbors. “They can’t afford to live here any more,” she said. “They’re on fixed incomes. I came here to let you know we need to hold the taxes as low as possible.”

The Rockwall County draft one budget is built on the .35 rate with an expected general fund revenue from ad valorem taxes of $18,321,703. Budget and tax rate are still being considered.

Certified appraisal rolls submitted by the Rockwall County Central Appraisal District show 37,373 accounts with a total net taxable value of $6.631 billion.

The estimated certified freeze taxable value is $6.189 billion.