Lockhart lowers tax rate, increases services

By LPR Staff

Editor/POST-REGISTER

An unprecedented spike in property values and the addition of more than $18 million in new properties has allowed the Lockhart City Council to make a variety of bold budgeting decisions, which they finalized during a brief meeting on Tuesday evening when they unanimously voted to approve the budget and tax rate for the coming fiscal year.

On average, according to Finance Director Jeff Hinson, property values in Lockhart rose 7.5 percent, according to the certified appraisal roll approved on Tuesday night. That increase, along with a proposed $2 per month increase to the City’s transportation fee (currently $4 per month), will allow the City to inject nearly $300,000 into materials for the road and street department, clearing the way for crews to address repairs and maintenance on oft-neglected streets throughout town.

Additionally, the City added a Victims Services coordinator, a drug interdiction officer and several computers and trainings to the Lockhart Police Department, and offered city employees a three percent cost of living raise.

Because of the value increase, the council was also able to lower the tax rate to $0.7260 per $100 of valuation rate; despite the lower rate, the owner of a $100,000 home will see an increase in their taxes, on average of $44.60 per year.

In other business, City Manager Vance Rodgers introduced the new Fire Chief, William Jenkins, who will join the City of Lockhart on Monday.

The Lockhart City Council routinely meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Third Floor Council Chambers of the Dr. Eugene Clark Library Complex. The meetings are open to the public, and are available for online viewing at www.lockhart-tx.org.