City of Bryan Maintains Tax Rate Amid Rising Revenue
In a recent special meeting, the Bryan City Council made a crucial decision to adopt the same property tax rate for Fiscal Year 2025 as the previous year, maintaining it at $0.624000 per $100 assessed valuation. However, thanks to increased property values across the city, officials expect to collect approximately 7.26% more revenue compared to last year.
A Budget to Support City Growth
The new tax rate, approved unanimously during the meeting, will support a substantial budget of $526,863,500. This budget includes funds for essential city services and personnel, key components that council members passionately discussed in the first reading of the ordinance just a week prior.
“We know that costs are increasing for everybody, that includes the city,” said councilmember Jared Salvato. He emphasized the importance of providing merit raises for city employees, mentioning, “This sets us up for the future with all that we have going on.” He voiced satisfaction in keeping the tax rate where it is to ensure the city stays competitive in terms of bonds and financial stability.
Addressing Public Safety Needs
However, not everyone is convinced that the current tax rate is sufficient. Councilmember Marca Ewers-Shurtleff pointed out that the property taxes generated fall short of covering the expenses necessary for the city’s police and fire departments. She reiterated, “Ultimately it’s our obligation to keep our citizens safe, and at least 100% of our property taxes go to fire and police, and that still doesn’t even cover it.”
Mayor Bobby Gutierrez echoed these sentiments, affirming that the existing tax revenues are inadequate to fully finance essential services. “One hundred percent of our taxes do not cover just the cost of our fire department and the police department,” he explained. He pointed out that the city relies heavily on both property and sales taxes, with 85% of tax revenues from these sources going to fund public safety.
Contrast with County Tax Rates
In an interesting twist, the mayor and councilmember James Edge took the opportunity to criticize significant tax increases imposed by Brazos County. The county commissioners recently set their tax rate at $0.419700, marking a 1-cent or 6.21% increase from last year, which adds an eye-popping $69.4 million to the general fund.
“We have a responsibility here as councilmembers to look after the citizens, to look after public safety,” Edge remarked, warning that the county’s decision to implement an increase poses potential future budgetary challenges. “I feel like keeping our rate stable factors in the fact that we could see some of the valuations in the commercial begin to stabilize and even reverse,” he continued, emphasizing a cautious approach to financial stability.
Future Prospects for Economic Growth
Despite the challenges, Mayor Gutierrez remains optimistic about the city’s future. He mentioned ongoing economic development projects that have the potential to provide much-needed tax relief if they materialize over the next year. Along with these initiatives, improvements to the city’s quality of life and the upgrades to aging infrastructure, which is over 152 years old, signal a positive trend.
“We’re looking to make some good things happen here; we are making some good things happen here,” the mayor concluded, summing up the excitement of development for the city of Bryan.
As the tax rate sets to go into effect on October 1, residents of Bryan are left to wonder how these financial decisions will impact the city’s long-term growth and the essential services they rely upon every day.
