Public speaks out against city tax hike

Outspoken residents who appeared at a public hearing Tuesday unanimously rejected the city of Brownsville’s proposal to increase property taxes some 8 percent for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

“We need to be able to live within our means,” concerned resident and former City Commissioner Ernesto De Leon told the City Commission Tuesday during the budget hearing.

“I don’t think the citizens want to be taxed anymore,” he said.

City administration proposes a tax increase of roughly five cents, from $.654189 cents to $.707744 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Following this year’s appraisal of properties, the effective tax rate has been calculated at $.657556 cents. This is the rate that would generate the same amount of revenues as this year, but based on the new property valuations. The effective rate also is historically the rate that the City Commission has approved in the past.

And while the public spoke against a hike, Commissioner Ricardo Longoria Jr. assured that he wouldn’t be voting for one. “No one is planning on raising anyone’s taxes,” Longoria said. Staff said the agenda item to increase taxes was worded in that manner in the event the commission approved a tax rate over the effective rate, which would trigger the need to have had public hearings.

If the commission has not increased taxes in the past, “trust me, we’re not going to do it this year,” Longoria said.

Brownsville resident Roman Perez said, however, that the mayor and commissioners have voted for tax rate increases when they approve effective tax rates, because as this year, these have been slightly higher than the present tax rates.

“Technically you are right,” Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. conceded.

Resident Roberto Uresti told the commission that people can’t afford an increase.

“Be responsible of how much it is going to cost them, not you,” Uresti said.

Referring to the difficult economic times, Leticia Perez Garzoria told the commission, “I believe we are all on the same boat.”

“This needs to be looked at more rigorously, more carefully,” she said. “People can’t make ends meet.”

Fernando Ruiz said taxpayers are also being burdened by higher property valuations. “You are raising taxes twice,” he said, urging the community to “wake up” and “pay attention to what is going on in the city.”