Shiner
The Shiner Gazette
Shiner City Council

City lowers tax rate with 5-0 vote

  • Shiner Market Days officially moved past its 13th month last weekend, with a full lineup of kids games and activities, live entertainment all day and tons of vendors from all over Texas.
    Shiner Market Days officially moved past its 13th month last weekend, with a full lineup of kids games and activities, live entertainment all day and tons of vendors from all over Texas.
  • The Saturday, Aug. 20, Shiner event went head-to-head with quarterly Hallettsville Market Days, with both both evts doing quite well at their respective venues. Shiner's takes place every third Saturday monthly.
    The Saturday, Aug. 20, Shiner event went head-to-head with quarterly Hallettsville Market Days, with both both evts doing quite well at their respective venues. Shiner's takes place every third Saturday monthly.
  • Photos by Bobby Horecka
    Photos by Bobby Horecka

    Shiner city council spent little time Monday approving a tax rate decrease in the coming fiscal year, which runs, Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, of that same year.

    Mayor Freed Hilscher called for a voice vote rather than the usual show of hands the council typically relies on, which forces each man on the council to annunciate how he was voting that day. It was unanimously, with Mayor Hilscher the only one not voting on the no-new-revenue tax rate for the coming year.

    Properties within the city saw some substantial valuation increases this year, like most around Texas. Rather than keep the tax rate the same (which would ultimately raise more in taxes because of the increased valuations assessed, council chose to pass those savings onto the local taxpayers.

    The vote after a brief public hearing on the city budget and tax rate, the second held this month. No one offered any comments during the hearing.

    Council approved the no-new revenue tax rate of 25.1 cents per $100 valuation for the 2023 fiscal year, down from 27.26 cents per $100 in 2022.

    Hilscher noted that Shiner continues to have one of the lowest tax rates around, a savings that got even more substantial with Monday’s tax rate vote and city budget adoption.

    In other business:

    • Alderman approved a request from a contractor to allow him to make use of a city easement as the property driveway for a new build going up at 807 Ave. B.

    • Following a brief executive session during which city leaders addressed how they would go about filling the public works director post that will become available as soon as Mike Ulbig retires later this year, city leaders opted to hire from within and promote Justin Hanson to the post.

    When he officially retires in December, Ulbig also offered to stay on as consultant with the city, to offer Hanson and other city crews his advice, should it be needed for whatever reason. The aldermen thanked him for his willingness to make such an offer. 

    In return, he would be compensated for his services at an hourly rate, should he be needed. 

    City secretary Natalie Fric noted that said compensation will not be comparable to Ulbig’s current salary. “We’re not going to pay two people for the same job,” she said. “He’s just there in an advisory role only, to help us along should something go awry.”