HUTTO ISD
HUTTO — The Hutto Independent School District board unanimously approved a new branch maintenance tax rate of 3.913 cents per $100 valuation for Temple College’s Hutto campus at its meeting Sept. 12.
The college’s Hutto campus is located at the East Williamson County Higher Education Center, which also houses Texas State Technical College’s East Williamson County campus and Texas A&M University’s Central Texas campus.
Board President Billie Logiudice recused herself from the vote due to a conflict of interest as a science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, advisor for Temple College’s External Relations-Academic Affairs department.
The new tax rate is a .081 cent increase from the rate in 2023, meaning taxpayers within the EWCHEC’s taxing district will see a $10 increase in their average tax bill, officials said.
It will support the maintenance, operations and capital improvements of the 56-acre branch campus.
Temple College proposed a $3.8 million budget for Fiscal Year 2025 to fund building future buildings and programs and a lease-purchase agreement for land payoff. Master planning efforts have already started, and adopting a master plan is anticipated in spring 2025.
“This budget cycle is heavily focused on the future,” Brandon Bozon, vice president of Administrative Services and chief financial officer of Temple College, said to trustees.
The land payoff will allow for a logical site division for Temple College and Texas State Technical College as future buildings are established.
It will also allow taxpayers to save over $253,000 in interest they would have paid from 2026 through 2036.
Trustees want the public to understand that the tax rate is not for Hutto ISD. The school district levies the maintenance tax and collects it through property taxes and then sends the funds to Temple College.
“Just for the public and anyone listening, this is not the school district tax,” trustee James Matlock said. “This is for EWCHEC.”
