Bastrop ISD collected $92.1 million in current and delinquent taxes in 2022. As of this March, more than $4.1 million in taxes was unpaid in BISD.

Delinquent taxes are taxes not paid by Feb. 1 of the following year, and begin accruing penalties and interest under Texas property tax laws.

Attorney Noe Reyes from McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen P.C. presented the delinquent tax report at the BISD board meeting April 16.

Tax deferrals—which can last up to 30 years—make up almost a quarter of the missing funds, Reyes said.

McCreary is working diligently to collect $1.3 million through delinquent tax lawsuits, Reyes said.

The district collected over $1.2 million in delinquent tax penalties and fees for the 2022 tax year. This money helps school districts exceed their budgeted amounts, Reyes said.

The big picture

At this point, 97.96% of the 2022 taxes have been collected, and taxes for 2023 are still being collected.

Tax collection slowed down, likely due to inflation and slowing economy Reyes said.

“Over time, we collect pretty much 100% of each year’s tax levy,” Reyes said. “This is just very, very high collection rates.”