Hutto to vote on proposed tax rate

Hutto City Council will vote on the proposed tax rate of $0.459607 per $100 valuation, a 12.83% increase, at a city council meeting Sept. 12. The vote will follow the second public hearing.

What happened

City Council opened an initial public hearing on the proposed tax rate and budget at its Sept. 5 meeting. During this time, Place 3 Council Member Randal Clark voiced that the city is growing and needs new city positions, like those in the emergency response department, to accommodate that growth.

“I think no new revenue is a mistake,” he said at the meeting.

Three other council members, including Mayor Mike Snyder, have previously said that they would cast their vote only for a no-new-revenue rate. Based on a statement from an Aug. 8 meeting, Mayor Snyder, Place 2 Council Member Dan Thornton and Place 5 Council Member Evan Porterfield feel that the city should "be diligent" in how it taxes residents.

What’s next

If the council fails to adopt a tax rate, it will be the no-new-revenue rate, city officials said. Williamson County has requested that the city submit a tax rate by Sept. 15.