Missouri City council will vote tonight on a tax rate increase just to generate the same amount of money as last year.
The proposed rate is expected to leave the city with $750,000 less than budgeted for 2010, and city staff is recommending a hiring freeze to help cover the deficit.
Council will vote on a tax rate of $0.5284, about a penny higher than last year’s rate of $0.51724. The proposed rate is the effective rate – the rate needed to generate the same amount of revenue as last year – therefore does not require public hearings. When property values rise, the effective tax rate is usually lower than the current tax rate.
City staff recommends that the $750,000 budget deficit be handled ”through certain hiring freezes and other discretionary spending.”
FortBendNow.com has requested property value information from the city, as well as more details on a possible hiring freeze and spending cuts, and will have an update when that information is made available.
Council will meet at 7 p.m. tonight, Oct. 5, at City Hall Council Chambers, 1522 Texas Parkway.
5. October 2009 at 4:01 pm
wrong thread, getting your pseudos mixed up again
5. October 2009 at 3:58 pm
Those are your words and what you are known for jerk/charlieB. So own up to them as you are always telling others to do because you will have to own up to them very soon.
And if making public statements like those are smart then I confess to your intelligence…
LOL
5. October 2009 at 3:43 pm
‘Increasing taxes in a collapsing economy, official misrepresentations about the economic health of communities, city and HOA “sharing” of increasing fines and fees, land “favors” to elected officials, and outrageous building projects during deep budget deficits, like The Global Science Center, are all testimony to this obscene feeding frenzy on the backs of residential taxpayers.’
One of the best summaries I’ve seen on all this yet.
5. October 2009 at 3:38 pm
Ive seen this before in the animal world. When a starving pack of wolves get the blood of a small animal on their faces, each wolf will turn against the other and eat their faces off and then continue until the pack is rather greatly diminished.
As taxpayers and HOA members, we are the small animals in a similar wolf pack feeding frenzy. It is hard to say which wolves will survive, or how many homeowners will survive this government/vendor starved feeding frenzy.
Increasing taxes in a collapsing economy, official misrepresentations about the economic health of communities, city and HOA “sharing” of increasing fines and fees, land “favors” to elected officials, and outrageous building projects during deep budget deficits, like The Global Science Center, are all testimony to this obscene feeding frenzy on the backs of residential taxpayers.
5. October 2009 at 2:24 pm
Good question cons1. I’m sure we will never see the details of the budget.
5. October 2009 at 1:52 pm
Be sure to show up at the council meeting tonight to voice your displeasure and to ask about the land values.
5. October 2009 at 1:41 pm
Sorry about feeding the TROLL, it was unintentional. But..I have to call it like I see it. A tax increase?? You have got to be kidding me, a tax increase? Isn’t there still enough natural growth in land values ( new homes ) to offset any mis-management these guys are up to?
5. October 2009 at 11:24 am
Yes, I agree, don’t feed ’santhony’! (one of his many aliases)
5. October 2009 at 11:20 am
DON’T FEED THE TROLL!
5. October 2009 at 11:14 am
So true conservative1. It was the county boys that artificially pushed the property tax appraisals up to nearly 11% this year. So any entity pushing a rate increase is just plain greedy and feeding more of their vendors.
Right charlieB?
5. October 2009 at 11:09 am
I am sorry to see that taxes are going up for my friends in Mo City. Tax rates and tax revenue should be not increasing during our current economic situation. But, our governments get away with it all the time. They get a guaranteed increase in revenue…because no one will call them out. Your only reprieve is the appraisal district but I wouldn’t count on it because the Fort Bend Appraisal District is instructed to remove short sales, foreclosures and other “unconfirmed ” sales from their valuations. Cards are stacked against you. You will pay. Unless, you vote those folks out.
5. October 2009 at 10:59 am
Leave it to charlieB, Allen Owen’s crony apologist, to try and detract from yet another tax increase.
5. October 2009 at 10:57 am
This isn’t good news. Why would they try to stop the public sessions?
5. October 2009 at 10:50 am
here comes the rant
5. October 2009 at 10:42 am
City staff recommends that the $750,000 budget deficit be handled ”through certain hiring freezes and other discretionary spending.”
Didn’t they just spend about that amount on the purchase of some bottom land near the river from a developer that is very present on several of the councils campaign finance reports? So they are running a deficit and increasing the rate. Maybe they should have thought about a hiring freeze at the administrative levels a few years ago? Naturally they can always keep going after the residents for fines, fees and other great revenue makers like being able to see the garbage cans from the street.
Amazing how the taxing entities become harder and harder to feed during recessions.