July 13, 2018 • Local News
El Paso City Council could adopt $983 million budget with 5 percent tax increase
Homeowners could see a 5 percent increase in the city’s portion of a property tax bill for the upcoming fiscal year.
The preliminary 3.99 cent tax-rate increase per $100 valuation will help fund a proposed $983 million budget that includes increased funding for public safety, streets and parks.
That translates to a city tax bill of about $1,054 on an average $130,000 home with a $5,000 tax exemption — an increase of about $50 over last year.
City officials presented the council with the preliminary budget for the 2019 fiscal year Monday, an $86 million increase over last year’s budget, documents show.
The proposed 3.99 cent tax-rate increase is expected to generate $13.9 million in revenue to fund growing public safety costs, operating costs for Quality of Life Bond projects approved by voters in 2012, and salary and health care increases for city employees, as well as water costs for city parks, among other items.
City officials said three priorities that were brought up through community outreach and City Council requests will be addressed in the upcoming budget cycle.
Those include dedicated street funding for more than 50 residential streets, additional police officers, a crisis intervention team to assist with how police officers respond to calls regarding mental health emergencies, police vehicle replacements, parks and Quality of Life Bond projects.
The City Council will hold a special meeting July 30 to review certified home valuations and to introduce the tax rate.
Two public hearings will be held in August before the city adopts the budget and tax rate Aug. 21.
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