Public hearing on budget, tax rate to take place at city council meeting

The San Marcos City Council will hold a public hearing on the fiscal year 2022-23 budget and the 2022 tax rate.

The council will consider approval of a budget of $298,144,470 for the fiscal year set to begin on Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2023. This fiscal year’s budget marks a $37.7 million increase from 2022’s adopted budget.

Councilmembers will later consider setting the 2022 tax rate at 60.30 cents on each $100 of taxable value of real property that is not exempt from taxation.

The council chose to set the maximum tax rate for fiscal year 2023 equal to the city’s current tax rate of 60.3 cents during a meeting on Aug. 18. The decision to set the tax rate to 60.3 cents is one-cent more than the originally proposed 59.3-cent tax rate in the 2023 proposed budget. The additional one cent is to be specifically used for the addition of public safety personnel.

In other business, councilmembers will consider eliminating fees for  overdue library materials. The library board and library director has recommended the change to a fine-free library, according to the council’s agenda packet.

Council will also consider approval of the abandonment and release of all or portion of streets, easements and alleyways, including portions of Loquat and Locust streets to Texas State University in exchange for the conveyance of certain real property interests in connection with the Sessom Creek Improvement Project (phase 2) by Texas State.

Councilmembers will later consider approval of an interlocal agreement with Texas State in connection with the Sessom Creek Improvement Project, which would provide for the closure of Loquat Street near Sessom Creek and abandonment and exchange of certain real property interests to facilitate said project.

According to the city council’s agenda packet, the city’s goals with the land swap includes creating a protected corridor along Sessom Creek, buffering future Texas State development from neighborhoods, reducing project costs by approximately $500,000-$600,000 and improving water quality in Sessom Creek. Texas State’s goals with the land swap are the abandonment of unneeded easement/right-of-way on property, improve developable area through easement/right-of-way removals and allow Loquat Street entrance to be relocated to a safer location.

Council is also set to consider approval of a public transit interlocal agreement with the Capital Area Rural Transportation System for the provision of public transit service and maintenance to the San Marcos urbanized area.

Over the past three years, CARTS has kept the same cost of service, $79 per hour, for the past three fiscal years, however, CARTS has increased the rate of service by 8% to $85.32 this year. The cost per hour increase is to adjust driver wages to meet local market adjustments in order to address labor shortages experienced this past year and to meet inflationary pressures on operating costs.

Councilmembers are also set to address multiple non-consent items regarding the 2022 annual service plan updates for the Trace Public Improvement District, Whisper Public Improvement District and Whisper South Public Improvement District.

Tuesday’s regular meeting takes place at city hall at 630 E. Hopkins St. Residents looking to watch the meeting can do so online beginning at 6 p.m. at http://sanmarcostx.gov/421/City-Council-Videos-Archives or on Grande channel 16 or Spectrum channel 10.

Those looking to participate in the meeting can send comments via email to citizencomment@sanmarcostx.gov prior to 12 p.m. on Tuesday.

To view the full meeting and agenda, visit http://san-marcos-tx.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_i=9.