NEW BOSTON, Texas - A proposed optional property tax hike measure, which died during the June 21 Bowie County Commissioners Court meeting, died again at their special meeting Thursday because no one would second the motion.
Commissioners again considered a proposed optional property tax rate that could be capped at 8 percent to replace the current state capped property tax rate which presently stands a 3.5%.
Bowie County Precinct 3 Commissioner James Strain opposed the idea mainly because of the potential that residents reading about the proposal would automatically assume the county is planning to raise property taxes that would more than double the state's capped rate of 3.5%. Presently, the county's current property tax rate stands at about 1.34%.
"The first thing people will think, if they read this in the paper, will be that the county 'is going to raise my taxes,'" Strain said.
Bowie County Precinct 4 Commissioners Mike Carter agreed, but said if the commissioners court, at the very least, doesn't consider the option, the court might be forcing the county to have to dip into its cash reserves. The court eventually agreed that they didn't really have enough property tax information from Bowie Central Appraisal District - information that won't be available until later this month.
Following some additional discussion, motion made to consider the option, died again, for lack of being seconded.
Bowie County Judge Bobby Howell said the option might be brought back for consideration at the Commissioners' final monthly meeting later this month. He added by later this month, the Court might have more information regarding the county's finances and options.
In other business, commissioners agreed to accept a bid they received from Lone Star Commissary to operate and supply the Bowie County Correctional Center's commissary for the inmates. They also agreed to hire Reliant Mechanical Contractors, to install a new air conditioning chiller in the courthouse for $81,000.