San Angelo City Council approved the sale of 17 acres in the Industrial Park to LTG Real Estate Group LLC in Grapevine, Texas. The property was appraised in January at $48,000 per acre. Council approved selling the property for $25,000 per acre due to site issues.
The Development Corporation approved the item in their July meeting.
The City approved a tax rate as part of the budget process. Council stressed that fees should reflect the cost of providing the service during a previous budget meeting. That seems to conflict with today's discounted land sale.
A citizen spoke during public comment about an upcoming Tom Green County Appraisal District board meeting. She encouraged people to attend and shared her concerns about the board appointment process as well as the move to appraise properties annually instead of once every three years.
Tax abatement for significant capital projects that provide some measure of employment also passed 7-0 in today's meeting. In order to receive tax breaks up to 85% applicants must provide at least one full time job.
Corporations as a whole did much better than financially stressed citizens as Council restricted the ability for homeless people to be in certain areas from 10 pm to 6 am with a camping ordinance change. The head of San Angelo's Homeless Coalition thought he had five minutes to offer public comment as an affected party but was cut off at three.
Citizens should take advantage of free and open public comment while it lasts. Today's meeting, had it occurred in October would've had far fewer public comments.
Update: City Council raised the tax rate from 70.42 cents per hundred valuation to 75.57 cents, That nickel increase is a 7.3 percent increase in the tax rate. Inflation is not going away for San Angelo homeowners. Neither the prior rate nor the increase were included in the City Council background packet. Truth in Taxation and transparency should ensure that information is shared as a bare minimum.
Old rate: 70.42 cents per $100 valuation
New rate: 75.57 cents per $100 valuation
Increase: 5.15 cents or 7.3%
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