APPLE SPRINGS — While the Apple Springs ISD Board of Trustees have set a tax election for November, the result, should the measure pass, would have little to no effect on property tax bills.
ASISD Accounting and Business Manager Chase Nielsen said the Voter Approved Tax Rate Election would keep the district’s tax rate the same amount as was set last year.
The previous year’s tax rate was .7169, or 71.69 cents per $100 of property valuation, and was made possible last year because of a one-time rate approved by the state after school facilities suffered roof damage during Hurricane Beryl, Nielsen said.
In order to make the rate permanent, it requires an election.
“The good news for the voters, as I see it, is that they already have realized the rate, having paid it last year,” Nielsen said. “This is allowing the district to make the rate permanent.
“That is how the education code is written; the board has to adopt a budget, and then a tax rate, and then if the rate is above what is taxpayers have approved then the VATRE is necessary,” he said. “We have to adopt a budget, and if VATRE fails, then will have to amend the budget. For most commonsense people, this is backward; for the people in Austin, it makes sense. This is required by the state.”
Should voters reject the measure, the tax rate would drop to .6669 or 66.69 cents per $100 valuation, meaning that revenue could drop an estimated $176,639 in local and state funding.
The district will hold public forums prior to the election; the first is tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at the school cafeteria.
