DeWitt County proposes 10% decrease for 2022 tax rate

After nine years of a stagnant tax rate, the DeWitt County Commissioners’ Court voted in favor of a 10% decrease for the 2022 proposed rate at $0.42243 per $100 valuation during their Aug 8 meeting. 

A public hearing concerning the 2022 proposed tax rate and fiscal year 2023 proposed budget was set for Monday, Aug 22, at 9 a.m. in the DeWitt County Courthouse. County Judge Daryl Fowler suggested a decreased tax rate that would result in increased revenue for the county due to drastically increased taxable property values.

“We would not stay at $0.46937; I would propose $0.42243,” said Fowler. “(This signals) two things: we can cover what we’ve got with reserves, and we can feel the pain of the property value increases like everybody else. If we were to go to the $0.42 from the $0,47, that dollar amount translates into about a 10% savings.”

Commissioner Precinct Four Richard Randle spoke in favor of the decreased proposed rate, saying it would help counter the 62% year-over-year total values presented by County Tax Assessor-Collector Ashley Mraz on July 25.

“My thought is with all the talk that’s going on state-wide about trying to help people with their property taxes and trying to lower their property taxes, this is an ideal opportunity for us to actually reduce our tax rate, which would help our taxpayers,” said Randle. “Yet not drive us into a desperate need of trying to get our roads strategically prepared. I think our taxpayers will understand that we do need an influx of new revenue.”

The court unanimously voted in favor of Commissioner Precinct One Curtis Afflerbach’s motion to set the proposed rate at $0.42243 per $100.