Brazos County Commissioners Do Not Vote On Next Year’s Property Tax Rate After Two Members Intentionally Miss The Meeting

Screen shot from the September 6, 2022 Brazos County commission video at facebook.com/brazoscountytx
Screen shot from the September 6, 2022 Brazos County commission video at facebook.com/brazoscountytx

Brazos County commissioners were scheduled Tuesday to vote on next year’s property tax rate.

But that did not happen after Steve Aldrich and Russ Ford intentionally missed the meeting.

By state law, four commissioners have to be present for a tax rate vote.

Aldrich and Ford told WTAW News that they don’t have a problem with the fiscal year 2023 budget, which was adopted Tuesday by the three commissioners who were present.

Both commissioners were opposed to the one cent decrease in the tax rate that the others supported.

And Aldrich and Ford said the majority was not interested in discussing a compromise. Both supported a four cent decrease and using the county’s $88 million dollar fund balance or savings account to make up the difference.

County judge Duane Peters says if commissioners do not cast a vote on the tax rate by September 29, the tax rate will drop more than six cents to what the state calls a “no new revenue” rate.

Peters told WTAW News he was disappointed that Aldrich and Ford skipped the meeting. Peters said the one cent decrease would provide the money for a variety of health, public safety, and road initiatives.

Peters said the one cent decrease, combined with valuation increases, would mean that the owner of a $305,000 dollar home…the average value of a home in Brazos County…would pay another $115 dollars in the county portion of their tax bill.

Click below for comments from Russ Ford, Steve Aldrich, and Duane Peters…who were all interviewed by WTAW’s Bill Oliver.

Listen to “Brazos County commissioners do not have a tax rate vote because two members intentionally skip the meeting” on Spreaker.

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