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You approved $19 million TEN years ago for the project, why hasn't MORE money become available, with construction cost up, and the passing of 10 LONG years. There should be more money for the RIGHT project that would help bring in more REVENUE to the "dried up" coffers of the city.
City unfortunately won't and actually CAN NOT annex land for more structures to be built to bring in MORE very badly needed property tax revenue. Also, the failure of city officals to UNDERSTAND years ago, that the public will be buying MORE on-line, thus LESS sales tax revenue being collected by the state AND CITY. This source for city tax revenue has been at times seriously reduced over the last several years, poor planning should NOT have reduced the tax ratet the LOWEST tax rate of ANY city in Texas over 17.000 population, a good bragging point but reducing the tax rate since 1995 to ONE of the LOWER tax rates in the whole state should have and would have been better, lol You know a 35-40 cent tax rate, yes one COULD have seen this POSSIBLY coming in the future, no, it did NOT require a CRYSTAL BALL, lol Also, why do you THINK NO, I repeat NO other city had nearly that low of a tax rate, because PARTLY at least they knew they could NOT sustain the city over years of time at the "lowest" rate.
Saying all this to lay the ground work to pointing out, the city should DO SOMETHING to bring in tax revenue to the city, such as tourist tax revenue. Population grouwth is slowing, again, July 1 , 2017 census figures just released last week showed Tyler grew barely over one thousand in the last years, mostly births over deaths. No land to build homes IN the city, the country grew almost 1,400 last year, that's where afforable housing is being built, lots are too expensive in the city, as well as shortage OF avialable lots, again city cannot and has no interest in annexing land for developers to build.
Historically a city is growing slowly, booming, or slowing losing population, rarely does a city function well "statically". Flat growth, at that point, the tax rates must INCREASE often just to cover basic city needs, why do they necessarialy go up, you ask, because you must repair, replace police, fire vehciles, countless necessary other expenses due to age, deterioration, such as water and sewer systems, the city is working on now.
Sure, maybe a one or two cent per year increase in taxes, back up to a city sustainable rate of .50 to .55 cents MAY occure, but we are talking about crossing our fingers, which CONFIDENTIALY, several city leaders are doing, hoping and praying the city can "make it" until they get the tax rate UP enough where they can easily provide all city services, park employees have been lasdoff, by the end of the summer the parks may be in bad shape, but employees are not being laid off in critical areas such as fire and police.Freezing pay and freezine employee replacements has occured over the last few years.
On a positive note, maybe just maybe the city will be able to continue nearly fully staff police and fire employees, not reduction there
The "dreadfull" self destructive, personal loosing of THEIR jobs, would likely occure when the city has to go to the people for a city-wide election to RAISE the CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE, yes all of council and the mayor would likely lose their jobs, voted out of office. I'm stating too much truth here, I hope this response is not deleted, lol
You approved $19 million TEN years ago for the project, why hasn't MORE money become available, with construction cost up, and the passing of 10 LONG years. There should be more money for the RIGHT project that would help bring in more REVENUE to the "dried up" coffers of the city.
City unfortunately won't and actually CAN NOT annex land for more structures to be built to bring in MORE very badly needed property tax revenue. Also, the failure of city officals to UNDERSTAND years ago, that the public will be buying MORE on-line, thus LESS sales tax revenue being collected by the state AND CITY. This source for city tax revenue has been at times seriously reduced over the last several years, poor planning should NOT have reduced the tax ratet the LOWEST tax rate of ANY city in Texas over 17.000 population, a good bragging point but reducing the tax rate since 1995 to ONE of the LOWER tax rates in the whole state should have and would have been better, lol You know a 35-40 cent tax rate, yes one COULD have seen this POSSIBLY coming in the future, no, it did NOT require a CRYSTAL BALL, lol Also, why do you THINK NO, I repeat NO other city had nearly that low of a tax rate, because PARTLY at least they knew they could NOT sustain the city over years of time at the "lowest" rate.
Saying all this to lay the ground work to pointing out, the city should DO SOMETHING to bring in tax revenue to the city, such as tourist tax revenue. Population grouwth is slowing, again, July 1 , 2017 census figures just released last week showed Tyler grew barely over one thousand in the last years, mostly births over deaths. No land to build homes IN the city, the country grew almost 1,400 last year, that's where afforable housing is being built, lots are too expensive in the city, as well as shortage OF avialable lots, again city cannot and has no interest in annexing land for developers to build.
Historically a city is growing slowly, booming, or slowing losing population, rarely does a city function well "statically". Flat growth, at that point, the tax rates must INCREASE often just to cover basic city needs, why do they necessarialy go up, you ask, because you must repair, replace police, fire vehciles, countless necessary other expenses due to age, deterioration, such as water and sewer systems, the city is working on now.
Sure, maybe a one or two cent per year increase in taxes, back up to a city sustainable rate of .50 to .55 cents MAY occure, but we are talking about crossing our fingers, which CONFIDENTIALY, several city leaders are doing, hoping and praying the city can "make it" until they get the tax rate UP enough where they can easily provide all city services, park employees have been lasdoff, by the end of the summer the parks may be in bad shape, but employees are not being laid off in critical areas such as fire and police.Freezing pay and freezine employee replacements has occured over the last few years.
On a positive note, maybe just maybe the city will be able to continue nearly fully staff police and fire employees, not reduction there
The "dreadfull" self destructive, personal loosing of THEIR jobs, would likely occure when the city has to go to the people for a city-wide election to RAISE the CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE, yes all of council and the mayor would likely lose their jobs, voted out of office. I'm stating too much truth here, I hope this response is not deleted, lol
You say they are not annexing land, well what do you call the land they have annexed on Old Jacksonville? The new subdivision behind Bruno's.
You say they are not annexing land, well what do you call the land they have annexed on Old Jacksonville? The new subdivision behind Bruno's.
I think I responded to your question on that before. The developer asked the city to annex. The developer PAID to put in all paved streets, curbs, gutters, sewer, water, all to city regulations and specifications, ALL, so now all the city is required to do provide police, fire protection, which is already provided very close by, across the street around the Jack Elementary area.
The city even jumped completely around the Knowlwood Subdivision to get to this developers, Oak something subdivision. As you head south on Old Jacksonville highway you will find a city limits sign on your right just before or after Stewart Funeral Home, out of the city limits then jump back in, then out, and bam you are right at the light in Gresham,all that property tax not inside the city limits, even Owens Elementary has been outside the city limits for what, 30 years, it's part of Tyler I.S.D.
Also, as you head down OJH from Fresh, on your left the city limits are just as jagged, the developer's have to ask the city to annex them. In the last 28 years that I have been back in Tyler, they have annexed some small tracks with no homes in several places not important enough for me to remember where, lol
Some 20 -28 years ago Irish Meadows on South Broadway was annexed, about 100 homes, because they asked the city to annex, and the city could provide, water sewer, and police and fire, this is when the tax rate was HIGH enough to provide all this. The cities tax rate was approximately 250% HIGHER, yes HIGHER !! like 55-60 to a low of about 21 cents about 5 - 6 years ago. 20 goes into 60 three times thus, 300% so at least 200% to 250% higher, as Longview's is today 55-60 cents per hundred.
Also, this is when the city DID on there own, decide to "even up" the jagged jutting in and out city limit boundaries and annex what was called the Shackelford Creek Area, the area East of Academy going East on Cumberland Road starting at South Broadway, all the way over to New Copeland Road this was 20-28 years ago, likely 25, I once looked this date of annexation up, hard to find, I may have called the city, knowing me, lol
Anyway this caused a HUGE protest from the area annexed, even caused a man to run for city council to second guess everything the mayor or council DID during his terms in office, elected from the newly annexed area. Maybe that's at least "partly" why the city didn't care to annex again, but again, that has NOTHING likely to do with the attitudes nor ability to annex of today.
The area annexed was about 4- 5 square miles as best I can remember, and about 2,000 - 2,500 hundred people annexed, at most.
Anyway, for all of you that want to brag about Tyler's population growth, it's not going to happen in the foreseeable future, no plans for at least as far out as the city looks now, NO plans. That might be ok, but cities of Beaumont, Wichita Falls, have stagnated over the last 20-30 years and the result is some of the highest property tax rates in the state, now, sure not ALL of this higher tax rate is to blame on stagnation, but it is certainly part of the problem. If I wanted to spend the time I could find other cities Tyler's size that this has happened too. Oh well. In 15-25 years as the property tax rebounds, GOES BACK UP, all this could change. In about the last five years it's gone back up from 20-24 cents.
However, the current mayor, I guess with the approval of council, gave, simply gave, many square miles of land within Tyler's ETJ, extra territorial jurisdiction, about two years ago, to the four, yes, four cities around Tyler - Whitehouse, Bullard, Chandler, Lindale, GAVE land that BELONGED, by state law, to Tyler.
I heard and saw the mayor answer to the question "why he Tyler decided to do this," all I remember is the shocking answer, "We just wanted to be a good neighbor" how down right _____.?! He/They gave, yes, gave some of Tyler future away, how does HE know, if God allows the mess to continue another 50-100 whatever years, how did he know, the city may not NEED the land?
Anyway, I've brought this up before, if you will now notice, Whitehouse has moved their city limits on up toward Tyler, on Troup Highway, 110 right next to Toll 49, put their city limits sign, and a concrete monument saying welcome to Whitehouse, their city limits is now about a mile from Tyler's I guess that's all Tyler was willing to offer THEM without THEM requesting more, lol
Same with Bullard, however the reverse was true, Bullard had moved their city limits from near Oak Hurst Golf course on South Broadway, to back near FM346, after Tyler said "don't worry" the area is yours free to use. I guess the city made legal contracts with these four, how would these four accept any less? The next mayor could change all this, not likely at all but... So this all must be in legal terms.
Likely but I'm not certain, the why, but a good REASON to move the city limits back, was the City Police of Bullard were to be responsible for investigating and controlling any police actions or car accidents, on any part of Broadway ie, Highway 69, Bullard was responsible, spending time and money!! Now the county and highway Patrol is responsible, lol
Same happened with Chandler they moved in toward Tyler with their city limits signs then withdrawn the signs back toward Chandler when Tyler gave them the legal right to all this land WHEN they want it.
Lindale a little different, they got more property near and "at" the intersection of I-20 and 69 North, expanding the city limits East and West on I-20 and getting more of the VALUABLE taxable property.
This is after Tyler spent mega thousands of dollars installing sewer and water, several miles from near Swan all the way to near I-20 go figure, the expense for what?
Anyway, enough already, I still really like Tyler, for all the reasons I've stated for over 10 years on city-data. But, in some ways this is one heck of a strange city, unlike, in some ways like NO other I'm aware of anywhere, lol as I said, soo what? Oh well, lol bye
Yes, the glass is half full, Smith County, the metro has grown 17,500 since the official census, of 2010. Slowing now, but...
Out of all of the above chit chat, my main concern was, with Tyler being able to provide all needed city services, with the limited tax base, due to the decisions made over the last 25 years. But, glass is half full again, for now, by the "hair on their chinny chin, chin," the city is making it.
Agree. Tyler/Smith County governmental entities do have some strange ideas. They've frittered away hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years on "studies" regarding a convention center yet have nothing to show for the expense. They were even gifted prime land on which to build the center but, for reasons not explained, there has been no movement. They seem to constantly give tax abatements, not just to entice new businesses to locate here, but to existing established businesses. Why? It's no wonder the coffers are close to empty.
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I posted this on the paper website, my 3 cents worth, yeah, worth more than 2 cents, lol
