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Bastrop council adopts millage resolution, rejects roll-forward option
Summary
The Bastrop City Council voted to adopt Resolution 25-20-98, keeping property millage rates at the prior year’s levels, and voted to reject a second resolution that would have rolled rates forward to their maximum authorized levels.
The Bastrop City Council voted to adopt Resolution 25-20-98 on set millage rates for tax year 2025 and rejected Resolution 25-20-99, which would have rolled millage rates to their maximum authorized levels.
City finance staff told the council the meeting was scheduled to meet a state deadline and to comply with guidance from the legislative auditor’s office. "This agenda is prepared according to the requirements of the legislative auditor's office," city staffer Meredith Holmes told the council during the hearing.
The adoption keeps the city’s rates at the prior-year levels rather than increasing them to the maximum the city could levy under previously approved voter authorizations. Holmes said the city’s 2024 reassessment year produced fluctuations in assessed values and reiterated that the council still may choose to increase rates up to previously approved maximums until the next reassessment cycle in 2028.
Holmes told the council the 2023 tax roll collections totaled about $3,230,000 (listed in the staff packet as $3,230,000.00) and that 2024 collections were still in process. She said failing to adopt a rate would impede the assessor's ability to prepare tax bills and that the council had to act to meet the state filing timeline.
Council members debated two documents: Resolution 25-20-98 (to maintain the current rates) and Resolution 25-20-99 (to adopt adjusted/maximum millage rates). The council amended the title of 25-20-98 to remove the phrase "all other taxes" from the published title and then voted to approve 25-20-98 as amended and to reject 25-20-99.
Why it matters: adopting 25-20-98 gives the assessor the rate information needed for billing and keeps the city’s tax rate at the level the council said it preferred, while rejecting the roll-forward option preserves the council’s decision not to increase the city’s tax burden at this time.
What’s next: Staff said the city will publish the adopted resolution and provide the council with supporting documents and the next budget materials at the June packet so the incoming administration and public can review them before final budget adoption.
Actions recorded: The council voted to approve Resolution 25-20-98 (as amended in title) and voted to reject Resolution 25-20-99. The meeting record identifies the motions, the amendment to 25-20-98 to strike the phrase "all other taxes" from the title, and that both votes were passed by the council during the session. The staff packet and council discussion are available as part of the official minutes.
