City commission to set to approve tax rate

HITCHCOCK — City commissioners are on schedule to adopt a tax rate, that while is the same as last year, essentially will give most Hitchcock property owners a slight tax cut this year.

Commissioners meet today and again Thursday to discuss the city’s tax rate. While the mandatory agenda posting claims commissioners are considering a 55 percent tax rate increase, the reality is the commissioners plan to leave the tax rate at 47.2295 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

If adopted, that rate actually will be less than the city’s effective tax rate of 47.6283 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

The effective rate is the tax rate a city could set that would generate similar tax revenues as the previous year. Because taxable property values decreased in the city, the effective tax rate actually is a slight bit higher than the tax rate commissioners appear set to adopt.

The final vote on the tax rate will be Sept. 29, City Secretary Rose Marie Theiler said.

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At A Glance

WHAT: Hitchcock City Commissioner tax hearings

WHEN: 6:15 p.m. Monday and 5:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Hitchcock City Hall, 7423 state Highway 6 in Hitchcock