The Hays CISD board of trustees approved the tax rate for the 2022-23 fiscal year at a meeting Aug. 29. The new tax rate is set at $1.3423 per $100 of assessed property value, lower than the 2021-22 tax rate set at $1.3597.

The new tax rate is $.0174 less than the 2021-22 tax rate, according to agenda documents, and has decreased by $.1954 over the past several years. However, the interest & sinking portion of the tax rate has remained the same as last year's.

The newly adopted tax rate is broken down into maintenance & operations and interest & sinking as follows:

• M&O: $.8546
• I&S: $.4877

Agenda documents indicate that the new tax rate will raise more M&O taxes than last year's tax rate.

Additionally, the board approved the certified property values from Hays, Caldwell and Travis appraisal districts with a notable 35.21% increase in total certified values, according to agenda documents.

The total certified values are as follows:

• Hays: $15,658,506,985
• Caldwell: $82,349,408
• Travis: $86,552,817

The total certified value of all three counties is $11,705,740,479; the 2021-22 total was $9,818,256,253.

The next HCISD board meeting will be Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Historic Buda Elementary Campus, 300 San Marcos St., Buda.