Palestine City Council approves property tax rate
Aug. 11—Palestine City Council met for a brief regular session on Monday, Aug. 8 to discuss and take action on the property tax rate for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
City Finance Director Andrew Sibai presented the council with a comparison between the previous year's rate and a proposed rate, as well as the no-new-revenue rate.
After a brief discussion the council voted to accept the higher no-new-tevenue rate of $0.0695999.
According to the State Comptroller's office, the no-new-revenue tax rate "enables the public to evaluate the relationship between taxes for the prior year and for the current year, based on a tax rate that would produce the same amount of taxes if applied to the same properties taxed in both years."
The council clarified that the tax rate could be changed prior to the Sept. 26 vote to officially adopt the rate. The council proposed to hold public hearings regarding the tax rate during the regular scheduled council meeting being held on Monday, Sept. 12 and Monday, Sept. 26.
In other business the council voted to appoint Greg Lindsey to Place 1 of the Planning and Zoning Commission with a term to expire Sept. 30, 2023.
Consent agenda items approved by the council included:
—minutes for July 18, July 19, and July 25,
—expenditures over $25,000,
—authorization for the city manager to seek sealed bids for asphalt resurfacing on Callier St from Larry St to Saltworks Rd,
—authorization for the city manager to seek sealed bids for asphalt resurfacing on Royall St from Angelina St south to railroad tracks,
—authorization for the city manager to seek sealed bids for water line replacement on Royall St from Angelina St south to railroad tracks,
—authorization for the city manager to seek sealed bids for asphalt resurfacing on Ravenwood Dr,
—authorization for the city manager to seek sealed bids for water line replacement on Ravenwood Dr,
—authorization for the city manager to seek sealed bids for asphalt resurfacing on Reagan St from Church St east to dead end,
—authorization for the city manager to accept quote from Hahn Equipment for Flygt pumps in the amount of $28,765,
—an ordinance amending the official zoning map for the approximate 19.8 acres of recently annexed Kim's Convenience Store #45 along with adjacent State Highway 19 right of way to RC Retail Commercial Zoning District,
—an ordinance amending the official zoning map by rezoning Lots 1 through 24 of the Homewood subdivision adjacent to the 1100 block of Crockett Rd,
—authorization for the city manager to sign the Owner-Contractor Agreement for the Carnegie Library Project,
—and a resolution approving a negotiated settlement between the Atmos Cities Steering Committee (ACSC) and Atmos Energy Corp., Mid-Tex Division regarding the company's 2022 rate review mechanism filing; declaring existing rates to be unreasonable; adopting tariffs that reflect rate adjustments consistent with the negotiated settlement; finding the rates to be set by the attached settlement tariffs to be just and reasonable and in the public interest; approving an attachment establishing a benchmark for pensions and retiree medical benefits; requiring the company to reimburse ACSC's reasonable rate making expenses; determining that this resolution was passed in accordance with the requirements of the Texas open meetings act; adopting a savings clause; declaring an effective date; and requiring delivery of this resolution to the company and the ACSC's legal counsel.
The council briefly went into closed session to discuss action necessary regarding pending or contemplated litigation or a settlement offer regarding Union Pacific Railroad, Laza and any other possible claim as well as the Redlands Annex Lease. No action was taken upon returning to regular session.
