*PLEASE READ* The Week of July 6th - 10th, 2020 in the City of Waxahachie

Hello Friends,

This is a VERY IMPORTANT newsletter this week. There is one matter that is of such importance, in fact, that I am going to pretty much focus solely on that.  If you'd like to see what other meetings are happening in Waxahachie this week, please go to the City's website here: http://www.waxahachie.com/calendar.php

For a copy of the draft minutes from recent board meetings, please view them here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VQvwpyTv9o2QnWTa3fnon4Zu_d-ghHUQ/view?usp=sharing

-----------------------------------
Monday, July 6, 2020
-----------------------------------
6:00 PM - Waxahachie City Council Work Session
Council Chamber, City Hall

Agenda: https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/72279/CCAgenda20200706W.pdf

The purpose of this work session is to discuss the City's upcoming decision on our trash service.  It is open to the public, but will most likely not be live-streamed, so I encourage everyone who can make it, to do so.

=============================
*** 7:00 PM - Waxahachie City Council Regular Meeting ***
Council Chamber, City Hall

**** Anyone coming to the meeting please have a mask with you just in case they are required at City Hall.  Thank you!! *****

Agenda Packet: https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/72278/7-6-20_City_Council_Agenda_Packet.pdf

The most important item on this agenda and pretty much any agenda you will see from Waxahachie is #10. This item is on the agenda as "consider" so if you wish to speak to it, you must do so during the Public Comments section of the agenda (which is in the beginning).

Please review the picture to the right to learn more about a city's rollback rate and Senate Bill 2.


In short, during the last legislative session, in order to help residents with property tax reform, Senate Bill 2 was passed that would change that 8% to 3.5%.  There is a loophole, however, that in times of a declared disaster, a taxing entity can go back up to the 8%.  I don't think this is right.  I think that in these unprecedented times, you don't tax people at the maximum allowed by law.

A copy of the proposed resolution can be found in both the agenda packet (link above) and the picture to the left.  Passing this resolution will allow our rollback rate to be calculated at 8%, which is the OLD maximum that cities could tax before triggering an election. While it is legal under the law due to the emergency declaration by the Governor, people have suffered enough during the COVID-19 pandemic.  I think it's time for us to do right by the taxpayers and lower our rollback rate to the 3.5%, not only in the spirit of SB2, but because it's the right thing to do.

The City is still proposing a two cent tax rate reduction which is great, but that is in our debt service side, not the M&O (maintenance and operations) side. Basically, that means that the 2 cent reduction should stay and not be affected by changing the rollback rate to 3.5%.

I hope that you are able to come and speak for either passing the resolution as written at the 8% or if you think that should be lowered.  Please remember to speak during the public comments, as item #10 is not open to public discussion once reached on the agenda.

If unable to make it to the meeting, it will be live-streamed and accessible via this link:  http://www.waxahachie.com/government/city_council/city_council_meeting_live_stream.php

----------------------------------
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
----------------------------------
8:30 AM - Council Budget Work Session #1 (#2 may or may not be necessary)
Civic Center

Agenda: https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/document-uploads-001/uploads/video/agenda_file/72280/7-7-20_City_Council_Work_Session_Agenda.pdf

This work session is being held to have a discussion of the City of Waxahachie 2020-2021 fiscal year budget.  This is a public meeting, but will probably not be live-streamed.  It usually takes a few hours, but if you're able to make it, you learn a lot about our budget process.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Again, there are other meetings going on this week and if interested, you can follow the link above to the calendar to see when they are and all the details.

I hope that everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

Your Friendly Councilmember,

Melissa Olson
(text) 817-507-5162
molson@waxahachie.com
www.olsonfortexas.com