NO
CS City Council Asking for Property Tax Increase
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190 Replies |
Last: 6 yr ago by Stucco
NO
Just think about how much new spending is taking place, if they are having to up the tax rate, along with the windfall they are getting for new buildings/infrastructure/valuations going up... that is allot of dough
You forgot a 4-letter word starting with "H" in front of that.SARATOGA said:
NO
Based on my calculations, the CS tax revenue from property taxes is up 70% since 2010. Population has only grown 17% over that same time.
If CS left the tax rate as is, it would still generate almost 6% more revenue next year. But, that is not good enough for them. They want to raise the rate even higher. The past 3 years have seen double digit revenue growth and they want double digits again next year.
Source: http://www.brazoscad.org/tax-information/certified-values-statistics/
Awesome spreadsheet.
Can someone find out what the total general budget/expenses were for 2010-2018 as well? The ad valorem taxes are only about 1/3 of the budget, with the rest coming from sales taxes, utilities transfers, penalties and fines, etc.
Can someone find out what the total general budget/expenses were for 2010-2018 as well? The ad valorem taxes are only about 1/3 of the budget, with the rest coming from sales taxes, utilities transfers, penalties and fines, etc.
If someone has a more informed view of this, and I am sure you do, would you mind explaining it (as simply as possible please)...
Is the way they are funding the building of the police station, city hall etc is through certificates of obligation and then because the debt will be so high, they are increasing taxes in addition to that?
Texas law allows cities to issue COs without a vote right? At least if I understood this article on the comptrollers' website (scroll down on the site to see the article by Vela ); if that is how it is funded there is some recourse wherein 5% of the electorate has to petition for a vote. The article did say that sometimes those types of financing can be less expensive in the long run, but also may not be as transparent. Do any of you know if this is how it will be budgeted?
Article: https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/2017/january/co.php
Is the way they are funding the building of the police station, city hall etc is through certificates of obligation and then because the debt will be so high, they are increasing taxes in addition to that?
Texas law allows cities to issue COs without a vote right? At least if I understood this article on the comptrollers' website (scroll down on the site to see the article by Vela ); if that is how it is funded there is some recourse wherein 5% of the electorate has to petition for a vote. The article did say that sometimes those types of financing can be less expensive in the long run, but also may not be as transparent. Do any of you know if this is how it will be budgeted?
Article: https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/2017/january/co.php
The mayor is super happy that property tax reform was not passed, now he can get really working to raise taxes:
http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Focus-at-Four-CS-mayor-relieved-after-property-tax-reform-doesnt-pass-legislature-440830163.html
http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Focus-at-Four-CS-mayor-relieved-after-property-tax-reform-doesnt-pass-legislature-440830163.html
Mooney sounds like he's very ambitious in his plans for other people's money. 2 years of tax increases, due to significant rises in property values, should have given them plenty to work with. These folks in office are being greedy.
And this in the middle of skyrocketing property values. They get addicted to more more more and what do you think will happen when property values fall flat again? They'll be "forced" to raise the tax rate even higher to get their fix.
Really, we need 35 more police officers in this fairly low-crime town? There certainly doesn't seem to be a shortage of officers on traffic patrol -- if there are real crime issues that make us need 35 more officers, perhaps some repurposing would be in order first?runawaytrain said:
The mayor is super happy that property tax reform was not passed, now he can get really working to raise taxes:
http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Focus-at-Four-CS-mayor-relieved-after-property-tax-reform-doesnt-pass-legislature-440830163.html
Also, Mooney is quoting a now-discredited statement about the white nationalists in Charlottesville having weapons caches and "assault" weapons. The Virginia state police have already said their governor was wrong about that.
And, one potential speech by a controversial figure is not a reason the city needs 35 more police.
Tax and spend...tax and spend...
Quote:
Also, Mooney ...
Voted for him last time. Not making that mistake again. He's really come across as a snake in the grass since getting power.
Wow, what an eye-opening spreadsheet! Great work.BigBubba said:
Based on my calculations, the CS tax revenue from property taxes is up 70% since 2010. Population has only grown 17% over that same time.
If CS left the tax rate as is, it would still generate almost 6% more revenue next year. But, that is not good enough for them. They want to raise the rate even higher. The past 3 years have seen double digit revenue growth and they want double digits again next year.
Source: http://www.brazoscad.org/tax-information/certified-values-statistics/
This is fantastic -- wish the Eagle would print this and wish KBTX would do a full story on the overgrowth of taxes compared to population here.BigBubba said:
Based on my calculations, the CS tax revenue from property taxes is up 70% since 2010. Population has only grown 17% over that same time.
If CS left the tax rate as is, it would still generate almost 6% more revenue next year. But, that is not good enough for them. They want to raise the rate even higher. The past 3 years have seen double digit revenue growth and they want double digits again next year.
Source: http://www.brazoscad.org/tax-information/certified-values-statistics/
By the way, sales tax revenue should also be up relative to population due to increased visits after joining the SEC, etc.
Ding ding... windfall of additional increase in values + they want to add more taxes on top of that.. makes you wonder what they are spending it all on.
Also, if you want to do more digging go look at commercial real estate taxes, last time I checked their values are not going up at all or near the rate of home owners... I wonder why that is?
Also, if you want to do more digging go look at commercial real estate taxes, last time I checked their values are not going up at all or near the rate of home owners... I wonder why that is?
Mayor Mooney has nothing to do with skyrocketing values. That should be where the outrage is. Although our tax rate is one of the lowest around the valuations are not. And surcharging our utility bills is a complete farce, hopefully he can look into that. He just wants the option to raise the tax rate in the future. And we do not live in a low crime area. More police is a good thing.
I trust him.
I trust him.
aggiepaintrain said:
Mayor Mooney has nothing to do with skyrocketing values. That should be where the outrage is. Although our tax rate is one of the lowest around the valuations are not. And surcharging our utility bills is a complete farce, hopefully he can look into that. He just wants the option to raise the tax rate in the future. And we do not live in a low crime area. More police is a good thing.
I trust him.
I'd trust him too if my money wasn't a concern for me. Unfortunately it is!
FlyRod
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I had 3 homes in a neighborhood, complete and for sale, but still owned and on the rolls as the builders propertiesrunawaytrain said:
Ding ding... windfall of additional increase in values + they want to add more taxes on top of that.. makes you wonder what they are spending it all on.
Also, if you want to do more digging go look at commercial real estate taxes, last time I checked their values are not going up at all or near the rate of home owners... I wonder why that is?
guess what...they were about 60% of the value charged to other owners...questioned the appraiser and got an immediate reduction settlement on my property but of course no answer why was the builders so low
back slapping buddies just f'n over the regular homeowners
Where your misperceptions come into play is assuming that every time you see someone pulled over, you assume it's a traffic stop for a traffic violation and not a stop regarding a dispatched call. There is a lot more that goes into being patrol officer than running traffic. If you see one sitting in a parking lot, assume he's probably typing multiple reports and not looking to pull you over unless someone has called in about your bad driving and complained.
How many motorcycle officers do you believe there are? The answer is 4.
How many patrol officers do you believe work the streets of this 100K population town at any given time? Aside from 6 that regularly work Northgate on weekend nights, the answer is maybe 8.
How many detectives do you think work the follow-up of every report taken to see if an arrest can be made on the reports taken where an arrest isn't made initially? The answer is 11. That number hasn't changed in over 10 years.
There are currently less than 50 patrol officers for the city. Total. They leave left and right because they are underpaid and overworked compared to about 90% of cities out there.
Our police department has a major issues with staffing. National standard show that a city should have about 1.8officers/1000 residents, and we are at maybe 1.2.
I'm not for higher taxes and think the money could come from other places like cutting funding to things that aren't core services, but your assumptions are flat-out wrong. As an FYI, the violent crime rate in CS was higher than Bryan last year...
How many motorcycle officers do you believe there are? The answer is 4.
How many patrol officers do you believe work the streets of this 100K population town at any given time? Aside from 6 that regularly work Northgate on weekend nights, the answer is maybe 8.
How many detectives do you think work the follow-up of every report taken to see if an arrest can be made on the reports taken where an arrest isn't made initially? The answer is 11. That number hasn't changed in over 10 years.
There are currently less than 50 patrol officers for the city. Total. They leave left and right because they are underpaid and overworked compared to about 90% of cities out there.
Our police department has a major issues with staffing. National standard show that a city should have about 1.8officers/1000 residents, and we are at maybe 1.2.
I'm not for higher taxes and think the money could come from other places like cutting funding to things that aren't core services, but your assumptions are flat-out wrong. As an FYI, the violent crime rate in CS was higher than Bryan last year...
AgGunNut everything you say might be true. We might need more police and a new police station. I don't have a problem with that.
My issue, is that the city property tax revenues have already gone up exponentially. From 2014 to 2017 the property tax revenue has gone up from $28,169,303 to $41,264,868 which is a 47% increase. If they leave the rate where it is then revenue is still project to increase by $2,451,244 next year. They have already received more than enough extra revenue to pay for everything you mention. They don't need more!
Seriously, WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN DOING WITH ALL THIS EXTRA MONEY?? Have they been using it for toilet paper and to light cigars?
It just utterly dumbfounds me that the city could have that large of a revenue increase in such a short period of time and yet they sit there with a straight face and say "We need more". It's nonsense!
Edit to add:
I haven't mentioned the fact that that city has also had a huge increase in sales tax revenues, they raised water and electricity rates, and they added the roadway maintenance fee.
My issue, is that the city property tax revenues have already gone up exponentially. From 2014 to 2017 the property tax revenue has gone up from $28,169,303 to $41,264,868 which is a 47% increase. If they leave the rate where it is then revenue is still project to increase by $2,451,244 next year. They have already received more than enough extra revenue to pay for everything you mention. They don't need more!
Seriously, WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN DOING WITH ALL THIS EXTRA MONEY?? Have they been using it for toilet paper and to light cigars?
It just utterly dumbfounds me that the city could have that large of a revenue increase in such a short period of time and yet they sit there with a straight face and say "We need more". It's nonsense!
Edit to add:
I haven't mentioned the fact that that city has also had a huge increase in sales tax revenues, they raised water and electricity rates, and they added the roadway maintenance fee.
I pay property tax here too. We aren't disagreeing about the money. By all means, question where the money is going. It certainly doesn't seem to be going to core services. If I've learned one thing since I've live here, it's that the departments don't have nearly the say-so over their budget requests as administration.
That's goes against conventional wisdom here. Do you have a link?Quote:
FYI, the violent crime rate in CS was higher than Bryan last year...
The problem as stated is the city is getting huge windfalls of money from increased property values, sales tax growth, and fees it has magically tucked into everybody's utility bills.So why do they need additional funds? How many pet projects should be or could be killed? I question if the city is being good stewards with the resident's taxes.
So, it looks like the Mayor is taking full advantage of his OA65 exemptions on his home, 30k city, 40k school, and 75k county . I am 61 at the rate values are increasing and with the tax rate increase I hope I can last it out 4 more years to get mine, When your home is paid for and you get that tax bill each year it is a pretty big slap in the face vs all the years I paid a mortgage and it was escrowed.
At least there's a nice big sign out on the bypass to let people know they're driving into Kollege Station.
AgGunNut is right.
If you go through the CPA, you'll see how crowded the PD is and how low the morale can get. Or ask to do a ride along. You'll see that our CSPD officers have to load their equipment from their personal vehicles into their patrol cars each shift. Given the current climate of nut jobs randomly killing officers, it will be MUCH safer to have a place that our officers can store their gear, get out of harms way from someone looking to do them harm as they load in/out of their patrol vehicles, etc.
You get what you pay for...or not when it comes to police and fire services.
If you go through the CPA, you'll see how crowded the PD is and how low the morale can get. Or ask to do a ride along. You'll see that our CSPD officers have to load their equipment from their personal vehicles into their patrol cars each shift. Given the current climate of nut jobs randomly killing officers, it will be MUCH safer to have a place that our officers can store their gear, get out of harms way from someone looking to do them harm as they load in/out of their patrol vehicles, etc.
You get what you pay for...or not when it comes to police and fire services.
Exactly right.
love2crop said:
With all do respect, I'd encourage you to take this...College Station Citizens Police Academy to see the ins and outs and behind the scenes of how a police department works. It isn't just the patrol officers and motorcycle officers you see out on the streets.
If you go through the CPAAA, you'll see how crowded the PD is and how low the morale can get. Or ask to do a ride along. You'll see that our CSPD officers have to load their equipment from their personal vehicles into their patrol cars each shift. Given the current climate of nut jobs randomly killing officers, it will be MUCH safer to have a place that our officers can store their gear, get out of harms way from someone looking to do them harm as they load in/out of their patrol vehicles, etc.
You get what you pay for...or not when it comes to police and fire services.
Something tells me we can find a way to build storage for officer equipment, and even more office space, for less than $28 million. And, something tells me the increase in tax flow into the city should have been enough to pay for whatever is needed, without the need for additional taxes now.
Not quite sure what post of mine you were referring to when you recommended me to the CPA, but I'm pretty certain I have a good idea of how the department functions.
I was trying to use your quote about the CPA...newbie trying to figure this out.
Part of the reason they need more money is that our dear overlord mayor likes to travel: http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/mayoral-travel-spending-trends-upward-under-karl-mooney/article_4d1ea9fb-1ea1-5810-8bea-888cac008911.html
AgGunNut said:
Where your misperceptions come into play is assuming that every time you see someone pulled over, you assume it's a traffic stop for a traffic violation and not a stop regarding a dispatched call. There is a lot more that goes into being patrol officer than running traffic. If you see one sitting in a parking lot, assume he's probably typing multiple reports and not looking to pull you over unless someone has called in about your bad driving and complained.
How many motorcycle officers do you believe there are? The answer is 4.
How many patrol officers do you believe work the streets of this 100K population town at any given time? Aside from 6 that regularly work Northgate on weekend nights, the answer is maybe 8.
How many detectives do you think work the follow-up of every report taken to see if an arrest can be made on the reports taken where an arrest isn't made initially? The answer is 11. That number hasn't changed in over 10 years.
There are currently less than 50 patrol officers for the city. Total. They leave left and right because they are underpaid and overworked compared to about 90% of cities out there.
Our police department has a major issues with staffing. National standard show that a city should have about 1.8officers/1000 residents, and we are at maybe 1.2.
I'm not for higher taxes and think the money could come from other places like cutting funding to things that aren't core services, but your assumptions are flat-out wrong. As an FYI, the violent crime rate in CS was higher than Bryan last year...
It would be interested in know what need that is not being addressed with the eight police persons in town at any one time? Not against an increase, but adding 35 more seems excessive to me.
By all means, ask for a ride along, and you'll get to see. The citizens academy is a great way to learn.
As for the 35, they certainly wouldn't all be working at once or even necessarily as patrol officers. Things like vacation time, sick leave, family leave, training time, military leave, etc. all add up quick.
There is currently an entire shift unstaffed during the evening time. During that time about 5-6 years ago, there would have been about 15-16 on the street at a time.
Taking into account officers needed that support patrol's role (detectives, training officers, narcotic/gang investigators, etc) adding 35 would put about 3-4 back on the street at any given time.
One other bit to think about. Given that officers should/need to be spread out geographically based on density and call load, how would you feel living in an area not patrolled nearly as frequently or having to call for help and the response taking longer because they're further away or otherwise tied up?
As for the 35, they certainly wouldn't all be working at once or even necessarily as patrol officers. Things like vacation time, sick leave, family leave, training time, military leave, etc. all add up quick.
There is currently an entire shift unstaffed during the evening time. During that time about 5-6 years ago, there would have been about 15-16 on the street at a time.
Taking into account officers needed that support patrol's role (detectives, training officers, narcotic/gang investigators, etc) adding 35 would put about 3-4 back on the street at any given time.
One other bit to think about. Given that officers should/need to be spread out geographically based on density and call load, how would you feel living in an area not patrolled nearly as frequently or having to call for help and the response taking longer because they're further away or otherwise tied up?