The cities of San Marcos, Kyle and Buda as well as Hays County are nearing completion of their annual budgets. All budgets and tax rates must be adopted by Sept. 30.

Buda

Proposed budget total: $10,394,116 (click to be redirected to the city's budget) Proposed tax rate compared to current tax rate: The current tax rate is .3475 per 100 dollars assessable value, while the proposed tax rate is $0.3704 per $100 assessed valuation. The tax increase is based on the voters’ 2014 decision to approve a $55 million bond. The bond will fund construction of a new city hall, public safety building and making street, park and drainage improvements, said City Manager Kenneth Williams. Important dates: Aug. 16: City Council discussed the budget at their regular meeting Aug. 30 (6 p.m.): First public hearing for budget and tax rate to be held at City Hall. Sept. 6 (6:30 p.m.): Second public hearing for budget and tax rate to be held at City Hall. The total taxable value in the city increased to $1,397,589,163 for fiscal year 2016-17. “It’s a lean budget. We’re taking care of the basic items first,” Williams said. “We’re trying to hold the line on taxes, but we’re also providing necessities and essentials that citizens need to live in the city.” The owner of a home valued at $200,000 would pay an additional $45.80 more in property taxes annually—about $3.82 per month—under the proposed rate compared to the FY 2015-16 rate.

Kyle

Proposed budget total: $79.2 million; $40.9 million of that is capital improvement projects. Proposed tax rate compared to current tax rate: The current tax rate is $0.5848 per $100 assessed value. The proposed rate is $0.5748 per $100 assessed value. The proposed budget would have a one cent reduction in the tax rate. There will not be a tax rate increase in Kyle: likely, the one penny reduction will hold. The tax rate and budget will be voted on separately. Important dates: Aug. 17: First public hearing on budget and tax rate Aug. 24: Second public hearing on budget and tax rate Aug. 31: First reading on budget and tax rate Sept. 6: Second reading on budget and tax rate The city of Kyle's fiscal year 2016-17 budget is heavy on capital asset acquisition, Mayor Todd Webster said, and features a lot of one time-expenditures on equipment. “What this budget hopefully does is make the city more self-sufficient and not need to contract out as much,” he said. A proposed $3 monthly fee to create a storm water utility is also included in the budget. “Flood damage in Kyle occurred in areas that aren't in the floodplain because drainage system maintenance relies on individual homeowners,” Webster said. “Flooding was exacerbated because of a lack of maintenance.”

San Marcos

Proposed budget total: $193.165 million Proposed tax rate compared to current tax rate: For the tenth consecutive year, the city of San Marcos's proposed budget will maintain the current tax rate of $0.5302 per $100 of property valuation. Important dates: Aug. 16: City Council update and discussion on the FY 2016-17 budget Aug. 19: Publish notice of effective tax rate to include dates of two public hearings and explanation of how the increased revenue will be used Sept. 6: First public hearing on the tax rate; budget public hearing; first reading of utility rates, budget and tax rate ordinances Sept. 16: Second public hearing on tax rate Sept. 20: Second public hearing of utility rates ordinance; record vote to adopt budget on second reading; ratification of the tax rate reflected in teh budget; tax rate adoption on second reading—requires affirmative vote of five if tax rate is increasing. The city of San Marcos has allocated $200,000 to "Corps of Engineers Flood Project Participation." The money is intended to be combined with $250,000 of the city's $25.08 million disaster recovery grant from the federal government. The funds will help the project reach a Corps of Engineers Chief's Report, which essentially will break down whether the project provides enough benefit to the city for the federal government to support it. Laurie Moyer, San Marcos director of engineering and capital improvements, said although the city has not committed to fully supporting the Blanco River Overflow project, the chief's report is necessary for the city to make a decision one way or the other. The city has also allocated $1 million, which Moyer described as a "placeholder" amount for until the city knows whether the state of Texas will fund removal of the dam fully or if the city will have to participate. The dam has been the subject of much discussion within the community recently, with many San Marcos-area residents concerned it could harm the environment and recreation on the river. Council gave direction to remove the dam, which has been breached and is only partially functioning, in March.

Hays County 

Proposed budget total: $189.39 million Proposed tax rate compared to current tax rate: The FY 2017 tax rate is proposed to hold steady at the FY 2016 rate of $0.4670 per $100 of property valuation. Important dates: Aug. 9-23: Budget workshops to be held Aug. 23: Vote on proposed tax rate Aug. 28: Publish notice of public hearings on tax rate, budget Sept. 6: Public hearing on the tax rate Sept. 13: Second public hearing on the tax rate Sept. 20: Public hearing on fiscal year 2017 budget, set salaries of elected officials, adopt budget after making final changes, set tax rate and levy taxes Sept. 30: File final approved budget with county clerk Hays County Judge Bert Cobb’s recommended FY 2016-17 budget maintains the tax rate at the current rate while providing $969,000 for 24 new full-time personnel positions and $1 million for improvements to the county’s civic center at 1249 Civic Center Loop, San Marcos. County spokesperson Laureen Chernow said the funds are intended for demolition and site preparation. The civic center property is currently for sale. The county has also allotted $500,000 for improvements to the county jail. The jail may be the subject of a November bond, which, under one proposal would be expanded to add 192 additional beds. The bond may also provide improvements to the rest of the jail facility. Chernow the the $500,000 are intended to fix ongoing problems and maintain the jail's current operations. Sheriff Gary Cutler has reported numerous issues at the 27-year-old jail related to aged plumbing and electrical equipment. According to the budget, the average taxable value of a Hays County home increased from $190,655 in FY 2015-16 to $206,317 in FY 2016-17. The average Hays County resident paid $890.36 in property in FY 2015-16 and will pay $963.50 in FY 2016-17.