Photo via Amarillo Pioneer staff
Public Hearings on the City of Amarillo’s 2022/2023 budget and property tax rate have been rescheduled, according to notices published by the city. The new dates are September 6th for the hearing on the budget and September 8th for the hearing on the tax rate. Both hearings will be held at 1:00 pm in the council chambers on the third floor of City Hall.
The hearing on the budget had been scheduled for August 16th, while the hearing on the tax rate had been scheduled for August 19th. These dates had been chosen in case the tax rate increase was higher than what would be allowed by state law without requiring an election, as the deadline to place items on the ballot was August 22nd. However, the hearings were abruptly cancelled. A representative for the city told the Pioneer that the hearings had been cancelled as the proposed tax rate increase did not require an election.
According to the new notices for the rescheduled hearings, the proposed budget and tax rate appear to be the same as previously proposed. The proposed tax rate is a 10.7% increase over the current property tax rate. This rate includes debt servicing for the tax notes passed by the council earlier this year to pay for civic center improvements. The inclusion tax notes, which have not yet been approved for issuance by the Secretary of State and are at the center of a lawsuit against the city by businessman Alex Fairly, drew criticism from Councilman Cole Stanley, who voted against the proposed rate earlier this month, stating that “we are in a recession. I would prefer not to tax in advance.”
The notices published by the city are linked below: