City lowers tax rate 3 cents
The Vernon City Commission set the city’s property tax rate for next year during a regular business meeting Tuesday. A public hearing on the proposed property tax rate was held with no one wishing to speak.
The proposed tax rate is the effective or “no new revenue rate” of 0.53422 cents per $100 valuation, which will provide the city the same out of tax revenue as the current tax rate. However, the proposed tax rate is a 3-cent decrease from the current $.56471. City Manager Marty magnum said the new rate will result in a homeowner paying about $30 less next year on a $100,000 home. The reduction is a result of increase values in the city, and the decrease in the debt portion of the tax. The maintenance and operations portion, actually increased 3.5 percent. The tax rate was unanimously approved on a motion by commissioner Britt Ferguson.
Commissioners approved a request from Tourism and Main Street Director Amanda Lehman to close Main Street from Wilbarger to Hwy 287 on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, for the Munchkins on Main Street Event that will held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Lehman said the TxDOT application is for five years, so they will have the date locked in for several years. Lehman said that the times for the event will be shortened, Covid protocols will be enforced, including putting a space between each car. The request was unanimously approved on a motion from Don Aydelott.
A request from Jay Young, owner of The Rusty Spur, to hold a concert on the parking lot of the restaurant from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2, was unanimously approved on a motion from Ferguson.
The purchase of 15 handheld Motorola radios for the Vernon Police Department was approved at a cost of $32,934 from Wichita Falls vendor Mobile Phone of Texas Inc., and the purchase of a John Deere 5065E tractor for the Code Enforcement and Street Department for mowing was approved at a cost of $25,300 from quality implement in Frederick.
The reappointment of three current board members Loyd Bridges, Norris Thomas, and James Foerster to the Vernon Housing Authority Board of Directors was unanimously approved. An amendment to the current year’s budget was approved.