The Bryan city council is split on determining the proposed property tax rate for the fiscal year 2023 budget.
A total of 90 minutes was spent during Tuesday’s workshop and regular meeting prior to a 5-2 vote to not change the rate.
The council also set a public hearing for September 6.
The council is scheduled to take a final vote on the tax rate September 13, where the rate can be lowered but not increased.
If the council does not reach a supermajority of five votes, then state law requires the council to adopt what is called a no-new revenue rate. In Bryan, that would decrease the property tax rate by almost three and a half cents.
Initially, four of the seven council members who wanted no change in the tax rate were Buppy Simank, Reuben Marin, Prentiss Madison, and James Edge.
Three others who sought a decrease of either one-half or one cent were Brent Hairston, Andrew Nelson, and Bobby Gutierrez.
In Bryan, a decrease of one-half cent in the property tax rate would save the owner of a $200,000 dollar home $10 dollars.
After Nelson repeatedly sought a fifth vote, Gutierrez switched to not changing the rate.
The day after the vote, Gutierrez told WTAW News his final vote on the tax rate will be for a decrease. He said Tuesday’s vote was because “the meeting was really going nowhere (and) we could not get to a consensus.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, city of Bryan chief financial officer Will Smith told the council that he is comfortable with having enough cash for the city to operate for 115 days. That would mean keeping the property tax rate the same.
Smith also told the council the national economy is in a recession and there is the possibility that high inflation will continue through 2026.
Click below to hear comments from Will Smith during the August 9, 2022 Bryan city council meeting and a portion of Bobby Gutierrez’s interview with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.