It's a novel idea. If you want public services such as street lighting, better roads, security, etc., you should expect to pay taxes to get them.
People in the cities have learned to live with that. And Cameron County commissioners have put that idea into practice in a way that will help rural area residents the most and hurt everyone else the least.
There is a proposal to implement a countywide Assistance District that will increase sales taxes in unincorporated areas by two cents which will be used to fund these improvements.
Instead of raising property taxes or implement a surcharge on residents, the Assistance District will be funded by an additional two cents on purchases in the businesses in the outlying areas, equaling what you already pay in the cities.
It's nothing to sneeze at.
The district is proposing a 2 cent sales tax. This is the same rate levied by most cities in the county and the maximum allowed is 8.25 percent. If you made a $10.00 purchase of products eligible for sales tax you would pay a total of $10.83, the same amount as you would pay in the cities of Brownsville, Harlingen, and most other cities in the county.
The State Comptroller’s Office estimates that the eligible sales in the proposed rural district could total as much as $47,500,000 in sales which could generate up to $950,000 annually for rural improvements.
What are among the greatest needs of the rural residents of Cameron County?
Commissioners have discovered that many subdivisions (and colonias) want street lights to be installed in their communities. In the past, each resident was assessed a surcharge to pay for the lights, causing some residents to grumble or killing the idea altogether.
Now, the county has organized an election to allow the rural residents to provide the funding source to implement a rural street light infrastructure program. Only residents living in the voting precincts in the outlaying areas can vote in this one. So if you live in those areas that are within territories of any one of the 17 cities, towns, or villages within the county you will not find that in your ballot for constitutional propositions.
Those living within the cities of Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, La Feria, Port Isabel, Ranch Viejo, City of South Padre Island, Laguna Vista, Bayview, Combes, Primera, Santa Rosa, Los Indios, Rio Hondo, Rangerville, Palm Valley and Indian Lake cannot vote on the measure.
A county assistance district is a governmental body created through an election by a majority vote of the registered voters within a described area. Registered voters decide on whether to implement a sales tax on eligible sales within the district to fund improvements or programs.
libraries, museums, parks, or other recreational facilities; or (5) the promotion of economic development and tourism.
Election Day is November 7, 2017, but residents can vote early. Early voting began this Monday. A listing of polling places where they can cast their vote will be published in the Brownsville Herald and Valley Morning Star and also on the Cameron County website: http://co.cameron.tx.us/administration/elections_voter_registration/index.php
For more information contact your county commissioner or County Administrator David A. Garcia, at 1100 E. Monroe St., in Brownsville, or call 956-982-5414.
1 comment:
If the county is going to provide all of these "city" services (mosquito spraying, street lighting, etc.), then what's the point of living in a city. Brownsville should un-incorporate. Then we don't have to pay property taxes to the city, and we can use our sales tax to fund city services instead of funding the the politicos trips to south america.
But seriously, this effort should only be available to those who live more than a certain distance from a city. Otherwise, there is no incentive for areas such as Cameron Park or Olmito to ever be part of Brownsville. They can just enjoy their proximity to our stores, banks, and offices without contributing to Brownsville's tax base. This makes no sense!
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