• David Tewes •
• Originally published August 25, 2009 at 4:45 p.m., updated August 26, 2009 at 8:21 a.m.

• The city council will also conduct a public hearing before taking the first vote Thursday to adopt the proposed $144.7 million budget.

  Other votes are planned for Sept. 8 and Sept. 15. The budget takes effect Oct. 1.

Victoria residents will have a chance Thursday to sound off about the city's proposed property tax rate.

That opportunity will come during a public hearing the city council will conduct at 5 p.m. at 107 W. Juan Linn St.

The current property tax rate is 65 cents for each $100 of taxable property and hasn't increased in more than 10 years. It has actually dropped about 5 cents since 2004.

But increased appraisals over that time have resulted in higher tax bills for homeowners and businesses.

The city staff has proposed leaving the tax rate at 65 cents to help fund the proposed $144.7 million budget. But several council members are looking for ways to reduce the tax rate.

"I'd like to squeeze half a penny out of it," Council Member Paul Polasek said. "I'm looking through the budget to try to find areas where we can cut back without affecting operations."

He said he's already proposed cutting a sidewalk project to save about $90,000.

"I just want the public to know I'm sincere about trying to be frugal with their money," Polasek said.

Council Member David Hagan said he wants the tax rate to be set at the effective rate of 63.67 cents. The effective rate takes into account increased appraisals and would produce about the same amount of income for the city as the previous year.

"I will not under any circumstances be voting for increasing taxes," Hagan said. "Raising the tax rate to 65 cents would in effect be a tax increase."

Unemployment is increasing in Victoria County and people are dealing with the effects of the recession, he said. The council needs to be sensitive about that, he said.

The commissioners court recognized that when the judge and all four commissioners agreed to set the county tax rate below the effective rate, Hagan said.

Council Member Denise Rangel said she's still studying the proposed budget, which will take effect Oct. 1.

"I know we're in bad economic times," she said. "But it costs money to get the things we want done, like the streets."

Rangel said she's not ruling out the possibility of lowering the tax rate.

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