Well, most of them do.. So when Russ Ford and Steve Aldrich held out against tax increases last year, and horrendous gloom and doom was predicted by Judge Duane Peters, the actual outcome? Brazos county coffers were just fine.
Now only Aldrich is holding out for the "no new revenue" rate, which actually allows for increased revenue under higher appraisals.....but Peters again is calling for "more tax $$, cuz, well, you never know..."
They didn't raise taxes last year and generated a $21 million surplus. But then think they need a tax rate that generates $2.5 million more than the budget this year?
And oh so typical of city councils, county commissioners, and development councils: "We need growth, and rooftops, to allow for a great tax base, to allow us to supply needed infrastructure"
followed by: The demands of all of this expansion and growth has resulted in the need for higher taxes, to address the needed infrastucture"
..and the residents get hammered, by self proclaimed "fiscally conservative" politicians...
I can't figure out why the group of residents who can most likely least afford another tax increase continues to vote in new commissioners who go along with the money grabbing judge and former CS mayor. Konderla who replaced Russ Ford voted to raise your taxes yesterday. Irma's replacement did likewise. It is so easy for these commissioners to say " but we're keeping the tax rate the same" while reaching into our pockets and taking more money out. Another thing is that every April/May there is a thread about property appraisals where the outrage is comical. The appraisal board doesn't raise our taxes. It merely sets an appraisal. The cities and county and ISDs are the ones who vote on what your taxes are. They are the ones determining the rate which determines the property taxes. The math is pretty simple. Thousands of property owners go down to contest their appraisals. Almost no one goes to commissioner's court to object. My rep is Steve Aldrich and I am proud to say he is. Last year he and Russ did agree to a rate that would have given the county a slight revenue increase. But the rest of the court got butt hurt and bent out of shape enough that they settled for a lesser amount. And still we had a surplus and still they want more this year to pad their coffers.
Aldrich and Ford caught significant flack last year for doing what they could to force the no new revenue rate while the Judge cried it would have catastrophic results. Those results… $21 million surplus. Now here we are again with the Judge's sky "could be" falling forecast while they set an almost 15% tax increase.
Lots of people on this board really gave Aldrich and Ford a hard time for their tactic to prevent another unnecessary increase. Seems that's the only way to keep taxes from continuing to rise out of control. I applaud them for doing what's necessary to keep taxes under control.
They didn't raise taxes last year and generated a $21 million surplus. But then think they need a tax rate that generates $2.5 million more than the budget this year?
Yeah when i heard this I was like you think you need to raise taxes? Why not decrease them. $21 million, wow
Just remember that government will never quench their thrirst for OPM....never. They can always find uses for more and more money, regardless of the need. If they don't find enough need, Awww, we need more surplus.
The Judge told everyone last year that he was going to raise taxes this year to make up for all the money he didnt get because of the no new taxes rate last year. He is dead set on building the "Peters" Medical Examiner's Office. The Pandemic money he has been sitting on isnt going to cover it. He know he is going to need alot more to run it and they havent budgeted for it yet. They just voted to give almost all of the elected county officials big raises.
My correspondence to the Brazos County Commissioners Court
September 7, 2023
Dear Brazos County Commissioners Court,
I regret to report that you, as both a Body and individually, failed to so much as acknowledge my August 14, 2023 correspondence to you. This came with little surprise and I now better understand your reasoning for failing to respond....although, as elected officials that work for the constituency, I would have at least expected some acknowledgement.
Your September 5, 2023 majority action to advance a discussion of an out-of-pocket 14.49% tax increase from each and every Brazos County Property Owner perfectly aligns with the 'tax and spend' group-think that prevails amongst you. It is sad to see that you wield such power to take our money, so that it may rest in your bulging coffers.
As I understand it, you propose to take these additional dollars from us because:
1. "We are a rapidly growing County and we need to be prepared for whatever comes." My household also needs to be prepared for 'whatever comes' and if you unnecessarily hold our money in your account, I am unable to maintain that preparedness. These are our rainy day dollars, not yours. This is flatly unacceptable reasoning.
2. You are currently using reserve fund dollars to supplement the County's annual operating budget. At the current tax levy (valuation x current tax rate), how long would the reserve balance last? When did you last thoroughly complete a line-by-line assessment of the County's spending? I guarantee you that there are unnecessary expenses occurring within Brazos County Government every day. I also suspect that some reorganization and realignment would yield significant economies.
3. You reminisce of a time when property values unexpectedly dropped during a recession 40+ years ago. What do the property valuation experts have to say in their current predictions of Brazos County, Texas property valuations over the next 1, 5, 10 years and beyond? Please solicit this kind of expert input and incorporate it into your tax rate decision making, so that your decisions can be well informed with the most current predictions vs. historic recollections.
4. If the State Constitutional Amendment passes this Fall, the Taxpayers will receive an ISD 19 - 20 cent rate reduction. You state that BCAD reports an overall 20% annual increase in property valuations. You do understand that this overall valuation increase nullifies the ISD rate reduction to which you refer - correct? BUT.....that's a discussion to be held with a different taxing entity and should not influence your decision-making in the slightest. To even suggest its relevance reveals your invasive, underlying belief that you have some authority to decide how much the overall property tax bill should be for Brazos County Property Owners. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONCERN. Your concern is restricted to the funding of Brazos County Government - PERIOD.
Please read and enter this correspondence into the record of the Brazos County Commissioners Court's September 19, 2023 Tax Rate Public Hearing.
Finally, I would appreciate a simple acknowledgement of your receipt of this correspondence.
Sharing from other thread on this topic that was locked by the admin.
Brazos County Commissioners voted this week to raise out-of-pocket taxes by more than 16% while trying to tell residents they are lowering them.
What's shocking is that the Brazos County has a big budget surplus--$21 million dollars--even after being forced to adopt a no-new revenue approach last year. Last year two Commissioners (Ford & Aldrich) prevented a similar tactic by refusing to attend meetings when a vote on the tax rate was on the agenda. As a result, the Commissioners had to default to a no-new- revenue tax rate.
Now it appears they're making another run at taxing us more now that the new Commissioners seem to have been indoctrinated into this tax-raising cabal.
Everyone is upset about escalating property values and this move by Commissioners is like rubbing salt into the wound.
They bank on people like us not paying attention. Bottom line is we all pay higher taxes if stealth tax increases like this are allowed to move forward. Whether you own a home, small business, pay rent, or do business at local stores---these costs are passed through to you in higher prices for everything.
This exchange is rich and worth watching. Check out the discussion yesterday at the meeting on this video beginning at 5:32 and listen to one commissioner being pinned down on the tax increase that's being proposed. (Sounds like they're channeling Joe Biden!)
Everyone needs to make plans to show up at the public hearing Tuesday, September 19th at 9:15am to oppose this attack on our wallets. Also, call your commissioner now and ask them why they are playing games by saying they want to lower the tax rate, while really voting to raise how much we all pay out of pocket!
This tax increase is like a locomotive on the tracks. If people don't raise questions and pin these folks down, it will happen. Call and email your commissioner and hold them accountable.
If we agree to an increase can they go ahead and fund the one mile stretch of Greens Prairie they control? The expansion of the east portion is almost finished so we're maybe a couple of months away from a five mile four lane divided road with a one mile two lane county road right in the middle. IIRC they wanted $100m for roads last election but somehow this project wasn't in the list. So I voted no.
A fearful society is a compliant society. That's why Democrats and criminals prefer their victims to be unarmed. Gun Control is not about guns, it's about control.
Watching that exchange did nothing but erase any doubt I had that our county judge is an economic illiterate. I've put pencil to paper on these significant property tax savings he is blowing hot air about. They are anything but significant after tax rate and new valuations are taken into account. He did nothing but bellyache and carry on last year about how no new revenue was going to break the county. We ended up with a large surplus. Now here he is again speaking in circles about how we don't know what will happen in the future again. Our local government is incompetent, much like the rest of government everywhere else. Vote!!!!
If we agree to an increase can they go ahead and fund the one mile stretch of Greens Prairie they control? The expansion of the east portion is almost finished so we're maybe a couple of months away from a five mile four lane divided road with a one mile two lane county road right in the middle. IIRC they wanted $100m for roads last election but somehow this project wasn't in the list. So I voted no.
They already agreed to funding that after all the negative feedback they got for no action after COCs started their effort. Problem is COCS and the county never organized their efforts to do the two projects at the same time. I have no idea wen the county will start their work but Brazos county highways is slow at doing anything.
I don't have the information to comment on who is wrong and who is right, what the rates should be, etc, but on the flip side of this issue, keep in mind that local governments are not the federal government. They can't just print more money or borrow more money quickly or without voter approval. Plus, they only receive tax revenue a couple of times a year so they are required to keep a fund balance. Generally, for continuing expenses, bond ratings, etc they need 90-120 days of the yearly budget in their fund balance.
Brazos County's fund balance appears to be around $77million which is about 142 days of the proposed yearly budget. Probably more than necessary still though depending on capital expenditure plans.
Props also for decreasing the budget by $6million overall. More could possibly be done, but any actual decrease with inflationary trends is good.
If we agree to an increase can they go ahead and fund the one mile stretch of Greens Prairie they control? The expansion of the east portion is almost finished so we're maybe a couple of months away from a five mile four lane divided road with a one mile two lane county road right in the middle. IIRC they wanted $100m for roads last election but somehow this project wasn't in the list. So I voted no.
They already agreed to funding that after all the negative feedback they got for no action after COCs started their effort. Problem is COCS and the county never organized their efforts to do the two projects at the same time. I have no idea wen the county will start their work but Brazos county highways is slow at doing anything.
Hadn't heard that. Thanks!
A fearful society is a compliant society. That's why Democrats and criminals prefer their victims to be unarmed. Gun Control is not about guns, it's about control.
I don't have the information to comment on who is wrong and who is right, what the rates should be, etc, but on the flip side of this issue, keep in mind that local governments are not the federal government. They can't just print more money or borrow more money quickly or without voter approval. Plus, they only receive tax revenue a couple of times a year so they are required to keep a fund balance. Generally, for continuing expenses, bond ratings, etc they need 90-120 days of the yearly budget in their fund balance.
Brazos County's fund balance appears to be around $77million which is about 142 days of the proposed yearly budget. Probably more than necessary still though depending on capital expenditure plans.
Props also for decreasing the budget by $6million overall. More could possibly be done, but any actual decrease with inflationary trends is good.
"Brazos County's fund balance appears to be around $77million which is about 142 days of the proposed yearly budget. Probably more than necessary still though depending on capital expenditure plans."
They also have 21 million $$ in the emergency fund that they could draw from for any possible short periods if they get below the 90 to 120 days fund balance guidelines.
The Judge told everyone last year that he was going to raise taxes this year to make up for all the money he didnt get because of the no new taxes rate last year. He is dead set on building the "Peters" Medical Examiner's Office. The Pandemic money he has been sitting on isnt going to cover it. He know he is going to need alot more to run it and they havent budgeted for it yet. They just voted to give almost all of the elected county officials big raises.
"They also have 21 million $$ in the emergency fund that they could draw from for any possible short periods if they get below the 90 to 120 days fund balance guidelines."
Haven't read it line by line, but where do you see that is in addition to the other fund balances? Keeping almost $100million on hand with a total budget of $200m definitely wouldn't make sense.
I guess I'm just confused as to why people voted for these folks again after watching the whole debacle last year?
Did we really just not think they wouldn't try it again on the next cycle?
I am at the point that it could be the Pope himself running to be on the council, but if he's gonna try to raise my taxes - I'm gonna probably end up not voting for him because he's gonna raise my taxes.
The Judge told everyone last year that he was going to raise taxes this year to make up for all the money he didnt get because of the no new taxes rate last year. He is dead set on building the "Peters" Medical Examiner's Office. The Pandemic money he has been sitting on isnt going to cover it. He know he is going to need alot more to run it and they havent budgeted for it yet. They just voted to give almost all of the elected county officials big raises.
The City of Bryan is doing the same thing.
Bryan City Councilmen make 10$/mo.
I didnt mean that the City of Bryan voted themselves raises. I realize it was poorly worded out of frustration. I meant that the City of Bryan is enjoying a 15% revenue increase and leaving the tax rate "at best" the same.
If we agree to an increase can they go ahead and fund the one mile stretch of Greens Prairie they control? The expansion of the east portion is almost finished so we're maybe a couple of months away from a five mile four lane divided road with a one mile two lane county road right in the middle. IIRC they wanted $100m for roads last election but somehow this project wasn't in the list. So I voted no.
They already agreed to funding that after all the negative feedback they got for no action after COCs started their effort. Problem is COCS and the county never organized their efforts to do the two projects at the same time. I have no idea wen the county will start their work but Brazos county highways is slow at doing anything.
Yes, they did agree TO fund it, but last time I heard (I called the county engineer in charge of the Greens Prairie widening last summer I believe with a question) I was told they were going to do it but "Funding had not yet been identified" to proceed. Do you know if it has been funded? (Honest, non-sarcastic question, I'm genuinely curious and hope you do because as Loyal Ag said, the current state of affairs is ridiculous...)
