Travis County Commissioners Court
June 27, 2006
Item 23
Number 23, consider and take appropriate action on assumptions regarding the fy '07 tax rate and parcel rate fees. Good morning.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners. Dusty knight with the Travis County tax office. We came to you every year wanting to get to you approve some assumptions that we make for calculating the effective tax rate. And this year we are just also asking to approve the parcel rate at the same time, so -- so we don't have to make two trips down here.
>> dusty, can you -- judge, are you -- did you have a question?
>> go ahead.
>> okay. Dusty, can you tell me how you come to derive the increase or decrease or whatever on the parcel rate and whatever decision is made on -- on the adjustment of that parcel rate, per jurisdiction, what procedure is -- is available for those jurisdictions to say, well, I agree with you, but I do not -- I do not agree with you and -- there are some terms and -- and decisions, with the jurisdictions that we serve as far as serving those parcel rates?
>> basically, each year we contact all of the parties affected by the collection of the property tax. We get with -- we get with it because we are using a computer system or whatever, associated cost with our computer system. We get with the county attorney, their cost associated with the collections and then the cost associated with the tax office from within. We put all of these costs together, allocate what percentage of these would be of these costs, one of -- what of -- one of them should be born by Travis County only if we were doing this by ourselves, what would be the leftover part shared with the other taxing jurisdictions. We then get the number of parcels out there for all taxing jurisdictions, I'm not wearing my glasses, but I think it's about a million something parcels that would be outlet there for all other taxing jurisdictions, divide the two numbers, the cost of the number of parcels, come one a parcel rate. Come up with a parcel rate. Available to anyone that has wanted to see the calculation that's we do, can certainly contact the office, we will give them the calculations. Basically it includes, it includes health care costs that we get from planning and budget, the true costs that we -- that we will see next year.
>> okay. I just wanted to know what basically, you know -- [indiscernible] collect taxes for the other jurisdictions, I was wondering where do they get into the mix of the decisions as far as --
>> they are not in the mix of the decisions --
>> as far as notifying them that this is actually what --
>> we will tell them as soon as you all approve that this is what the Commissioners court is going with.
>> all right. Okay. That's the part that I was looking for right there.
>> right. We will send out notice. Trying to get this done, we will send out notice along with what we are sending out currently. We contact all of the jurisdictions to be able to get the information for doing the effective tax rates. We are in the process of sending out those notices right now.
>> okay. All right. The recommended parcel rate is -- is --
>> 102?
>> 1.02.
>> move approval.
>> second.
>> goes up from what to this?
>> I think it was 94 --
>> 95 cents.
>> 1.02 for.
>> the other jurisdictions.
>> yes, sir.
>> okay. And I guess the recommendation is that we follow the historical commission recommendation to have our historical exemptions same as city of Austin as we have done historically? Not to change it for now? And that we leave in place the current other exemptions that Travis County has had in place, all of that is in this motion?
>> yes, sir.
>> all right. So our exemptions would stay the same.
>> currently granting the maximum local option, which is 20%, granting the $65,000 for the homestead and disabled.
>> 65, right?
>> 65,000. Yes, sir.
>> right. I thought you said 55, I'm sorry.
>> excuse me, 65,000 for the over --
>> 65, right.
>> and disabled.
>> homestead exemption of 20% or $5,000, whichever is greater.
>> correct.
>> okay. All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 11:13 AM