“This marked the first time that year-to-date postings have exceeded 800 in Hays County. Over the past year, year-to-date postings have climbed 47 percent from the 566 notices recorded for this same period last year.”
Send your comments and news tips to online.editor@valleyspringcomm.net,
to pstern@austin.rr.com or to County Judge Liz Sumter, lizsumter@co.hays.tx.us
* Read the comments or add your own by clicking on the "comments" button below the story.Editor's Note: In her re-election campaign kick-off held Sunday at the Wimberley Brewing Co., Hays County Judge Liz Sumter said two things of import to Hays County taxpayers. First, she said, the $207 million road bond voters approved last November and the parks bond approved in a previous election will necessitate a tax rate increase of between 2 cents and 5 cents. Second, Sumter says she will likely oppose any additional tax rate increases in the new budget beyond what has already been approved by the voters, despite the pressing need for additional high-dollar capital improvement projects. What say ye Commissioners Conley, Ford, Barton and Ingalsbe? All it takes is a majority vote of three to place more pressure on home and business owners and keep the foreclosure rate on a roll.
Speaking of taxes, we will once again point out the oh-so-close to the edge the City of Wimberley is to imposing a city property tax. Two of the biggest reasons why are the city's operational takeover of the costly community center (running in the red by about $50,000 annually), and some council members' (Haley, Flocke & Roccaforte) unexplained chumminess with Pct. 3 County Commissioner Will Conley and Conley's scheme to acquire the old Baptist church for a joint city-county government center, at a very high cost to the city. Why Conley continues to pursue this larger than life White Elephant is dumbfounding (ludricous really), but some pretty good guesses already have been advanced in the RoundUp. Any way you look at it, it would be a local government bailout for a group of private investors. Next, watch out for the city's pursuit of a 4 million dollar central wastewater system. Not. Affordable.
We add this comment from Peter Stern, who is a regular contributor to the RoundUp: Keeping on with property tax increases based on excessive expenditures, appraisal value creep, road/school bond issues, county salary increases and/or increased tax rates is going to force more foreclosures, will continue to overburden homeowners and will keep out new residents from buying homes in Hays County.
For the past several years I have been communicating such concerns and various suggestions with commissioners, as well as providing local media with commentaries on these urgent issues. I still am concerned that little progress has been made in this area and advise commissioners to consider holding back on raises, freezing property taxes for the short term and cutting costs and excessive waste in county management and operations as a more active and ongoing [recovery] plan until the economy becomes less financially oppressive. As I have forewarned almost 3 years ago [but few listened] home foreclosures continue to increase dramatically to record highs.
I am hopeful that you may now accept the proven and acknowledged reality of hard financial times and will act in the best interests of the entire community. Hays County residents are officially part of the nation's economic malaise. You may want to reevaluate how Hays County manages and operates its daily business, trimming down the fat in county government and to resist excessive expenditures that increase county debt and hardship on residents. Hays County residents need your intelligent leadership, sensitivity to their financial burdens and practical direction during these difficult times. Please continue to rise-up to the occasion.
____________________________
The foreclosures
Read the full story here: http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/local/local_story_172153943.html
By Anita Miller
News Editor
San Marcos — Record numbers of properties have been listed for foreclosure in July in three counties in the Austin Metro area including Hays County, the Foreclosure Listing Service said this week.
Hays, Travis and Williamson counties all had record numbers of listings for the current foreclosure cycle, said the FLS, which is based in Addison.
“Hays County monthly postings topped 140 for the first time in this foreclosure cycle and probably for the first time on record,” said FLS President George Roddy. He said, “143 postings were filed for foreclosure at the July auction, which was 104 percent higher than for the July auction of 2008 when just 70 postings were recorded.”
Roddy noted that Hays has had 100 or more listings each month for the past six months, and that year-to-date postings also show a sharp increase.
6 comments:
Quote: “Speaking of taxes, we will once again point out the oh-so-close to the edge the City of Wimberley is to imposing a city property tax.”
Looks like a good time to disincorporate! What has incorporation done for Wimberley, anyway??? Now the tax hungry city politicians have come out of hiding to set us up for a shared real estate purchase that stinks of fraud. Can anyone mention a benefit of our having a city government that justifies the cost?
The same may be stated for the City of Dripping Springs --- overpriced government for no direct benefits.
We all voted-in what we thought was new blood for commissioner positions, but it has not worked out well.
In addition, there remains a division, a riff, among commissioners that still hinders county progress on many issues.
If commissioners continue to show us they can not all get along, then my honest advice is to vote-in new candidates in the next few elections and try to get a fresh start.
Hays County residents deserve real focused leaders who TOGETHER will birng all of us united into the light of the 21st century. I really don't think this group can do it.
Stern are you crazy? Vote in all new commissioners? A water well driller over incumbent Commissioner Karen Ford in Precinct 4 would be an act of suicide for property owners, well owners and taxpayers. I'll stay with Ford and I'll stay with Sumter. The other three on the court are gas bags and ought to be disposed of.
I want to how how Sumter and/or the other commissioners can consider a tax rate increase of between 2 cents and 5 cents when Hays County just raised appraisal values, a.k.a., property taxes for most residents.
How do you justify these various tax increases when foreclosures are at a record high and still increasing?
People are having difficulty paying their daily living expenses and commissioners are thinking of ways to tax them more?
And on this blog someone asks me if I am crazy? Let's ask the commissioners if THEY are crazy, shall we?
Just take care of the roads we have right now. There's no reason to spend carelessly and foolishly on extravagant road issues. Why tax folks now in difficult times, when we still can build those new roadways a while "down the road"? [pun intended]
In addition, there is no reason we can't place a freeze on all taxes and spending except those for emergency purposes.
Commissioners, please stop bleeding your constituents and use some logic and sensitivity.
A very wise post, Peter. All politicians know is tax, spend and borrow. It is like a drug to them, they simply can’t understand anything like going into a holding pattern until the economy improves. I don’t know of any “emergency” road building that is really needed in the area. Just fill the potholes and tell the GOB road builders to wait a while.
The City of Dripping Springs had no property tax until they put in a public sewer system that had to be paid for - the State required that they have a source of income - sales tax doesn't count. As a result of the State requiring that they have a documentable steady source of income, the City HAD to adopt a tax if they ever wanted to fix the problems with the parts of town with old septic systems on too small lots. The sales tax helps to alleviate the need for more property tax, and the increase in new commercial activity in DS also helps with offsetting the residential tax burden both for the City and the school district (which is by far the most guilty of all with the high taxes that they charge).
Peter, you bring up the "City of Dripping Springs", but then you rant about the County. CLUE: if you vote for the County Commissioner, that person has nothing to do with City politics and elections. Different jurisdictions and responsibilities. The COUNTY Commissioner is elected by all of the citizens of their respective precinct, while the City Council of the CITY is elected by those who live in the City limits. I am sure you know this, just clarifying.
Post a Comment