Council Approves New Tax
NEW COMMENT RECEIVED 7/26/09. . . . . . .
At the Helotes City Council meeting on Thursday, June 25, 2009, Council members discussed imposing an additional tax on Helotes homeowners and businesses by establishing a Municipal Surface Water Drainage Utility System.
The purpose of this Drainage Utility System would be to raise revenue that will be dedicated to drainage projects that have been identified by Council. All existing drainage facilities within the City limits (the City’s ETJ [Exterritorial Jurisdiction] would be excluded) will be dedicated to the Utility System.
The taxes collected would be used for the creation, operation, planning, engineering, inspection, construction, repair, maintenance, improvement, reconstruction, administration, and other reasonable and customary charges associated with the Utility System. The City can also borrow money based on the revenue collected through this tax. The City will maintain sovereign immunity and will not be liable for flooding or adverse water quality.
All Council members appeared to be in favor of approving this new tax, but they couldn’t agree on the amount that will be charged. They finally agreed on a tentative tax of $5 per home per month. This amount could be reduced before the ordinance is finalized, but it could not exceed the $5. They also voted to limit the amount of Drainage Utility tax paid yearly by a business to $200.
Whatever amount is finally agreed upon will appear on the City’s fee schedule, and it could be changed by Council at any time. Usually the fee schedule is reviewed at least once a year, but it is done at Council’s discretion.
The complete proposed ordinance will have to be published in the Helotes Echo three times, and there will be a public hearing held to discuss this new tax.
COMMENTS???
This is a back door tax that will add a significant burden to every resident of Helotes. Moreover, there is no detailed explanation of how the monies will be used, what will be done with these monies once the drainage problems are fixed, or why the drainage problems can not be reasonably addressed using current City income. Remember these council members ran on the principle that development was needed to increase our tax base. This council also voted tax abatements for new development and cost the city significant income. We all are now being asked to pay for this foolishness. It seems that development (improperly monitored development) will unnecessarily cause a perpetual increase in Helotes taxes. Will this council never consider the long-term consequences of their improper actions?
Raising taxes for arbitrary purposes? There is a story going around town that doesn’t amuse many Helotes citizens. Reportedly, when a senior Helotes gentleman asked the mayor how come he hadn’t fixed the traffic problems in Helotes, as he had promised during his campaign for mayor, Schoolcraft replied that he did not say he could solve the traffic problems. He merely said if you don’t like the traffic problems, you should vote for him. If that is true, it sounds like his tax promises were as phony as his traffic promises.
This new tax is unbelievable. The people currently on Council all ran for office saying they wouldn’t raise taxes. The first time Schoolcraft, Legendre, and Whitehead ran they blasted then mayor Allan and Council members Birnbaum and Owens every chance they got saying they were going up on property taxes and called them fiscally irresponsible. How hypocritical is this new tax? I especially like the long list of what the money can be used for, much of which will not result in actual improvements to the drainage system. That is second only to the fact that they can now create more debt for the City based on the collection of these taxes.
Of course, the crowning glory to the entire situation is the fact that most of the drainage problems we have today were caused by the irresponsible development that has been done in the past, is going on today, and will go on in the future, because this Council is determined to bring development to Helotes, no matter what the cost.
Once again the council’s appetite for our money goes unabated! They call this Good Government!