How we got here
The tax rate was meant to be approved Sept. 11, alongside the budget, according to agenda documents, but city staff found a misprint in the notice for the public hearing associated with the tax rate and held off another week to allow residents to provide input.
Terms to know
The council could have adopted a no-new-revenue rate of $0.3764 per $100 valuation, which would make the same amount of revenue for the city as last year.
There is also the voter-approved tax rate of $0.4188 per $100 valuation, which is the highest the council can set the tax rate before it must be presented to residents on a ballot.
In their own words
Some residents spoke during public comment about the tax rate and the cost of growth in the city.
"I didn't get an 8% raise in my job this past year but you're asking for 8% more from a typical homeowner," New Braunfels resident Ross Garman said. "Existing residents are paying for growth. ... It would really be nice to see this city to try to find ways to manage money in a way where maybe we do a [no new revenue rate]."
Ultimately, the tax rate of $0.4089 per $100 valuation goes into effect Oct. 1, and despite its half-cent dip compared to the previous fiscal year's rate, it will still generate $5.3 million more in revenue for the city.
