Little bits of big news
Budget discussions continue Thursday
HUTTO — City Council will hold a public hearing Thursday, Sept. 5, regarding the 2024 property-tax rate and the Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
The proposed tax rate is 45.93 cents per $100 assessed value. This amount will raise property tax revenue to the city by about $5 million, officials said.
The city is projecting a total increase in revenue of about $46 million over FY 2024 with the proposed rate. The amount of money the city is expecting to spend with the current budget has also increased, from about $141 million to almost $166 million.
Council members have been at odds regarding the vote to increase taxes to the proposed rate or approve with a rate that would not increase the tax bill for the average property owner.
The city’s debt service, the amount it needs to pay back bonds and other financing, has increased from $26.49 million to $53.14 million over the last year.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 500 W. Live Oak St. Members of the public who wish to speak should arrive by 6:45 p.m. to sign up.
Old Town Streets
City Council members will hold a work session 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, to discuss options for strategies regarding Old Town Hutto streets. The roads have long been considered dangerous for residents and pedestrians, but solutions have been a long time coming.
Council members took a tour of Old Town roads in August, led by former Mayor Mike Fowler. Fowler lives in a home built by city founder James Hutto and is an advocate for Old Town.
The work session begins at 6 p.m. in the council’s secondfloor conference room at City Hall, 500 W. Live Oak St.
City adds another 170 acres A development known as the Meadow Brook Tract has requested annexation by the city as a single-family and commercial zone.
City Council members will consider establishing a Municipal Services Agreement and a Planned Unit Development for the 87.8-acre site at the Thursday, Sept. 5, council meeting.
The plan will bring as many as 520 new homes with a combination of single-family detached houses and attached townhomes. A public hearing for the annexation was held on July 11.
The development is on FM 1660 South between CR 134 and CR 163, just south of the Cottonbrook Neighborhood under construction.
When complete, Meadow Brook is expected to add $2.37 million in property taxes to the Hutto Independent School District.
The Hutto 130 Logistics Park, an 83.42-acre future employment center that spans Limmer Loop along Texas Toll Road 130 East, has also requested annexation by the city. The property will be zoned as light industrial.
Diversity name change
The city’s Diversity and Inclusion Commission may be getting a new name. City leaders are mulling a new title for the advisory group — Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Commission.
According to a statement from the city, “The term ‘equity’ emphasizes the importance of fairness and justice in the distribution of resources and opportunities, while ‘belonging’ focuses on ensuring that all individuals feel valued, accepted and integral to the community.”
City staff said the change is meant to reflect the broader goal of fostering a sense of belonging among all residents.
