College Station council sets Aug. 28 hearing and posts voter-approval tax rate at 51.1872¢

College Station Mayor and council on Aug. 14 called a public hearing for Aug. 28 to consider the city's fiscal year 2025–26 ad valorem tax rate and related budget items.

Finance staff told the council that certified property valuations declined, which raised both the no-new-revenue and voter-approval rates. The city's finance presenter said the certified values fell because a larger-than-expected share of appraisal-district litigation settled, and staff noted pending state actions that could affect future revenue calculations. The council designated the voter-approval rate of 0.511872 (51.1872¢ per $100 of assessed value) as the highest rate the city will consider at the hearing. That figure was put on the table strictly as the legally required maximum for the public notice; the council is not adopting a rate tonight.

Councilmember Wright made the motion to set the hearing and the maximum rate; another council member seconded. The vote was unanimous.

Why it matters: setting the advertised maximum rate triggers the formal public-notice and hearing process that lets residents comment before the council adopts a final tax rate. Staff told council the certified numbers reflect recent litigation settlements and identified two statewide issues to monitor: a bill that would reduce the voter-approval cap and proposed personal-property exemptions that staff estimated would lower local valuations.

What comes next: the council will hold the Aug. 28 public hearing at 6 p.m. in council chambers; staff said the hearing agenda will include the budget adoption, the tax-rate hearing and the fee ordinance for council action.