City Council Approves Fiscal Budget and Increases Taxes
In response to the demands of a growing population, the City Council of College Station has taken decisive steps by increasing taxes and approving the fiscal budget. The aim is to expand amenities and generate more tax revenue to provide enhanced services for its citizens and support ongoing projects.
Traffic Control and Community Development Projects
The city council, in collaboration with A&M, has entered a contract with Buyers Barricades Houston, LLC, for the 2023 TAMU Football Post Game Day Traffic Control project. This initiative seeks to ensure smooth traffic flow and uphold public safety in the city.
Moreover, the agenda of the council meeting also encompassed the creation of a community recreation center. This center, designed to serve the local community, is expected to alleviate the pressure on student-centric institutions. “Our citizens, our families are facing a need that is not answered by existing facilities,” said Place 5 Councilman Bob Yancy.
New Fiscal Measures
As a part of the new fiscal measures, the city council proposed tax rates for the 2025 fiscal year that include an increase of approximately 10% to the average homestead taxable value. Planned Development Services and Water Services fees will see a significant rise, and property tax will increase by 4.73%, equating to a rate of 51.30 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
“These fees … and increases are well under what the voters approved. If we’re spending $300,000 on those ‘Welcome to Aggieland’ signs, I would think we need to refocus,” stated Elizabeth Cunha, Place 4 councilwoman.
The New Fiscal Budget
The annual budget discussed by the council was unanimously passed with an incremental increase of $939,011 from the previous proposed budget making a total budget of $541,450,684. As the prices surge, Place 6 Councilman Dennis Maloney expressed his concerns, “This may be placing a burden on families who will now have to find this money from their budget. We have to be … careful with spending, with stewardship.”
Voting Sites and Early Voting
Following a list of early voting locations in College Station that erroneously excluded a center in Memorial Student Center, and included College Station City Hall, suggestions for rectifying the error were vigorously put forward. Ensuring the accuracy of the list was Kevin Pierce, president of the student organization Aggie Democrats, who expressed their willingness to advocate for the return of the MSC as an early voting location, if necessary.
The Brazos County Judge, upon recognizing the mistake, issued a correction to the list. The upcoming Commissioners Court’s regular meeting is set to address the matter and offer a new order to amend the voting sites.
This city council’s move to increase taxes and approve the fiscal budget aims to maintain the city’s growth trajectory while meeting the needs of its citizens. The future impact of these adjustments remains to be seen.
