By BOBBY HORN JR.
MONT BELVIEUProperty owners in Barbers Hill ISD will likely see their tax bills go up next year, even though the district has no plans to raise the tax rate.
District documents show that while the appraised value of all property will go down, the value of taxable property has risen which will lead to higher tax payments.
During a June 30 meeting of the school board, the district will propose a $1.3299 per $100 valuation tax rate. This is the same rate as last year.
Data from the appraisal district shows that the total taxable value of all property for the current tax year is $2,969,136,140. This is up $68,199,980 from the previous year.
The district has also seen the average taxable value of residences rise from $88,899 to $99,726. Tax on the average residence last year was $1,182.27. If the new rate is approved the average tax bill will come in at $1,326.26 or an annual increase of $143.99.
While keeping the tax rate the same, the district plans to increase its spending on maintenance and operations. This years budget represents an 8.59% increase over last year. Like many households, the school district is being forced to adjust their budget in anticipation of higher fuel costs, among others.
The increase in maintenance and operations will be countered by a decrease of 6.16% in the debt service budget.
The district, in creating its budget, will also have to account for lower revenue from the state. The district plans to receive from the state $2,637 per student. This is down from $2,693 last year. To balance this, Barbers Hill will have to increase local revenue from $4,551 per student to $4,607 per student.
The public is invited to a public hearing over the budget on June 30 at the C.T. Joseph Conference Center at 6:30 p.m.
