County considers setting tax rate
Final decision may come Friday
By SHARON KERR Staff writer

Jasper County Commissioners are moving rapidly to approve a county budget and property tax rate for next year.

The commissioners heard from chief appraiser David Luther on county property tax values at the regularly scheduled meeting Monday, Aug. 13. In a summary by property type, Luther reported residential values, vacant lots and tracts, commercial property, utilities and railroad rolling stock are all up in 2007 compared to 2006.

Total value of county property for 2007 is $1.508 billion compared to $1.386 billion in 2006, an increase of 8.8 percent.

This year's effective tax rate, adjusted after subtracting taxes on lost property and value of new property, would be .1316 per $100 value for the road and bridge special fund, and .5337 for the general fund. (Last year's rate was .1388 and .5617 respectively.) That makes the total effective tax rate .6653.

This year's rollback rate, after adjustments and allowing the max- -imum 8 percent and factoring in the debt rate, would allow a total rollback rate of .7164.

To a taxpayer with a $100,000 house, the difference between the effective rate and the rollback rate is about $50 per year, but multiplied by the total value of property in the county, the amount is substantial.

The county must adopt a budget before it can adopt a tax rate.

Therefore, commissioners did not adjourn meeting Monday. Instead, they recessed to continue reviewing the budget proposals Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Another meeting has been posted for Friday, Aug. 17, at 9 a.m. to discuss the tax rate and, perhaps, to take a record of vote and/or schedule hearing dates.

If the commissioners opt for the higher rollback rate, they are required to publish and hold several more public hearings.

The schedule proposed by Luther would include hearings Sept. 6 and 10, followed by announcing the rate adoption date and time; Sept. 12, publish notice of vote on tax rate; Sept. 21 at a public meeting adopt the proposed tax rate.

For an update on the commissioners' court budget hearing which was being held as of press time yesterday, visit www.jaspernewsboy. com.

Update to be posted on website

When the Jasper County Commissioners make a final decision on setting a tax rate, an update will be published on www.jaspernewsboy.com.