Leslie Gibson
All cities and school districts in Rockwall County which collect a property tax are seeing a slight increase in tax roll total evaluations over last year, based on 2009’s preliminary, pre-protest figures.
New construction is offsetting the flat to decreased existing property values, according to Rockwall County Central Appraisal District (CAD) information.
The value of properties which had no changes to structures went down 1 or 2 percent, or stayed the same, said Rockwall County CAD chief appraiser Ray Helm.
One Rockwall city is showing a double-digit increase over last year’s certified tax roll: the City of Fate.
Preliminary numbers have Fate with a 10 percent increase over last year’s certified value of $369 million. This year’s valuation is at $406.5 million.
Most of that is in the Municipal Utility District #1, the site of the Woodcreek development of Provident Realty. The MUD’s new construction value is just under $26 million. That is 12 percent above last year’s certified value.
No other city or school district in the county is seeing a double-digit increase.
Listing the Rockwall County cities in order of highest preliminary tax roll valuation to lowest puts the City of Rockwall first with just over $3 billion in valuation. Its ad valorem tax rate is .5031.
Heath is second, with $1 billion in valuation. Heath staff gave a “broad sweep” on the 2008-09 budget Tuesday night to council, noting that not raising the .34 tax rate in 16 years of growth may have hurt the city a little this next budget cycle. With revenue down, the city is expected to approve a budget amendment for this year’s budget, and is broaching the subject of a tax increase for the 2009-10 budget. To continue to use the reserve to “subsidize” the debt payment portion of the tax rate will only work one more year, council learned.
Third on the list of property valuations is Royse City, with $452 million in preliminary valuation of all properties within its boundaries which include portions of Rockwall, Collin and Hunt Counties, according to city manager Bill Shipp.
Most of the value lies in Rockwall County, to the tune of $383 million. Collin County value comes in at $76 million and Hunt County at $15.5 million. Shipp expects in future years that Hunt County value will increase, as the Verandah development continues to build, and a MUD within the city, across from the high school, starts development.
The Royse City ad valorem tax is .6586 per $100 valuation.
Fate comes in with the $406 million. That city is also looking to continued future growth, with Williamsburg coming on south of the Interstate. Its ad valorem tax rate now is .2144.
McLendon-Chisholm, which has never levied a property tax, is being given a preliminary valuation total of $164 million. City leaders are looking at instituting a property tax just to maintain the basic city services it is providing now, or perhaps even to cut those, including, perhaps, their staff of two.
County-wide, approximately 65 percent of the property valuations went down. Approximately 25 percent stayed the same, and approximately 10 percent increased in value, mainly due to new construction, add-on and renovations, Helm said.
“This is the first time in my tenure that I can recall that we’ve ever had properties go down,” he said.
“I know that in the last 10 to 15 years, values have gone up 2 to 4 to 5 or 6 percent,” he noted. “This year, overall throughout the county on average it went down an average of 1 percent.”
“Nobody’s value practically went up unless it was a mistake,” he said, noting that new construction, rennovation or additions would boost value.
