Property values in Hays CISD are up 8.83% per the Hays, Caldwell and Travis counties appraisal districts, but the proposed tax rate of $1.1546 is 0.2% lower than last year.

The board of trustees discussed the tax rate and unanimously accepted the 2024 certified property values during its Aug. 19 agenda workshop meeting.

The breakdown

According to agenda documents, the proposed tax rate is $0.0023 less than the fiscal year 2023-24 rate, and has decreased $.3831 over the past seven years.

The tax rate breakdown is as follows:
  • $0.6669 for maintenance and operations
  • $0.4877 for payment of principal and interest on debts
Additionally, last year's certified property values totaled $17.871 billion for Hays, Caldwell and Travis counties. This year, that number increased to nearly $19.5 billion.


In case you missed it

The board adopted the 2024-25 budget June 24. The board only had the certified estimates at the time, Chief Financial Officer Randy Rau said. The certified values are not released until the end of July.

However, Rau said the certified values do not affect the already approved budget.

"The values in the rate, it's like an inverse relationship or a teeter totter affect," Rau said. "If the rate or the assessment that we'll get in local taxes go down, the state's share goes up. If the local goes up, the state share goes down."


Next steps

The board will vote on adopting the tax rate at its next regular meeting Aug. 26.