Commissioners vote in favor of no-new-revenue tax rate

Hays County Commissioners have opted not to increase property taxes for homeowners.

The commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday, Aug. 23 in favor of no-new-revenue tax rate, which means the levy will likely remain at $0.3125 cents per $100 assessed property value for Fiscal Year 2023.

For taxpayers, this could mean a reduction, increase, or no change in county taxes after factoring in the other taxing entities included in a Hays County homeowner’s overall tax bill.

With home appraisals on the rise, County Judge Ruben Becerra took an opportunity during the meeting to clear up any confusion between the county’s responsibilities and the responsibilities of Hays Central Appraisal District.

“We’re not the appraisal district, but the name is deceptive,” Becerra explained. “It’s confusing, and they are independent. We are not in touch with what they do, and they’re not in touch with what we do.”

Tuesday marked the third hearing regarding the Fiscal Year 2023 proposed budget.

A final budget resolution will be adopted Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Commissioners also approved the selection of contractor Doucet and Associates, Inc. to perform roadwork on some of the most dangerous roadways, highways, and streets in Hays County.

“I think Doucet and Langford have done a lot of work in this area,” Commissioner Mark Jones said. “They know it pretty well, and (with) the roads that we’re going to be looking at, I think they’re going to be our best selection for this project.”

On Tuesday, John Doucet delivered a presentation regarding Vision Zero, a national program aimed at reducing fatalities and severe injuries on roadways.

According to Doucet, counties, cities, and tribal governments are eligible to apply for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, awarding a minimum of $5 million and a maximum of $30 million for improving the safety of local roadways.

Last year, Congress passed the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which established the SS4A program. Through SS4A, qualifying applicants throughout the nation will receive $5-6 billion in grant funding over the next five years.

Any proposed work funded through the grant must be completed within a five-year period, according to Doucet.

“This is a strategic process for the county to go forward with the action plan now, so that you are ready and ready to submit a project for implementation in the grant cycle for September 2023,” Doucet said.

The urgency was not lost on Becerra, who offered his analysis of the issue of roadways and population growth in Hays County.

“We’ve had real issues with fatalities, because our growth is outpacing the overall structure of those roadways and the whole purpose that they were developed for,” Becerra said. “It was never anticipated they would sustain the traffic that they do. It’s catching up to us in a big way.”

Early Monday morning, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed a fatal accident occurred between a vehicle and a pedestrian near the intersection of Ranch Road 12 and Oakwood Loop. The victim was a 54 year old male trying to cross Ranch Road 12.

The Vision Zero plan will account for recorded traffic accidents and fatalities in Hays County.