Citizen Advisory Board
Alert
This is the 1st Citizen Advisory Board Alert. The topics will vary according to the issues that Commissioners Court is working on. Some alerts will be informational, others will ask for your input, while others may require action on your part. I am looking forward to our communications and interaction. With your help we can have a greater impact on our community.
Commissioner Clark’s first Town Hall Meeting, "How to Appeal Your Property Tax Appraisal Values," was held May 18, 1999 at the League City Civic Center. Over 100 people were in attendance.
The Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector Chuck Wilson was invited by Commissioner Clark to answer questions. Commissioner Clark informed everyone that the way to hold down taxes is to contact local elected officials and encourage them to lower the tax rate to offset increases in appraised values. Galveston County was formerly the only county in Texas that had only elected officials sitting on the appraisal board. This created a conflict of interest with the people who set the tax rate also setting the appraisal value. This has now changed because Governor Bush signed legislation allowing any citizen to sit on the board.
Since taking office in January, Commissioner Clark has seen that one of the key issues in North County affecting League City, Friendswood and Kemah is the combined preliminary property value increase.
Countywide appraisals went up over $350 million. In League City, Friendswood and Kemah alone it went up $297 million.
Below is a chart that reflects the value of new improvements* and the net taxable* increase or decrease of property tax values in Galveston County.
| City of | 1999 New Improvements Preliminary Net Taxable | 1999 Overall Preliminary Net Taxable |
| Galveston | $21,426,578 | - $17,572,680 |
| Texas City | $10,060,037 | + $54,749,526 |
| La Marque | $8,495,980 | - $14,602,011 |
| Hitchcock | $2,014,320 | - $25,932,211 |
| Jamaica Beach | $2,475,720 | + $2,099,420 |
| Dickinson | $6,758,190 | - $17,127,243 |
| Friendswood | $48,674,336 | + $58,129,166 |
| Kemah | $7,431,150 | + $40,047,239 |
| League City | $98,812,369 | + $196,436,125 |
| Clear Lake Shores | $2,196,615 | + $2,611,106 |
| Santa Fe | $6,978,960 | + $16,068,453 |
| Tiki Island | $4,998,410 | + $20,186,576 |
| Bayou Vista | $1,701,526 | + $6,920,441 |
*Provided by the Galveston County Central Appraisal District
During the short week after Memorial Day we had 6 budget workshops. These included Parks, Roads & Bridge, Juvenile Justice, Community Services and the Sheriff. We covered Program Analysis and Justification, Personnel and Capitol Requests. We will continue this process over the next 6 weeks. If you or someone you know would be willing to review any Departmental Budgets, please contact me.
I would like to thank each of you for responding to the survey and participating on the Citizen Advisory Board. The Board has no set meetings or structure but will evolve to a level of involvement that will be beneficial to all that have an interest in good government.
Final thought; it is my intention to provide interesting and informative alerts, every 3 to 4 weeks. Please call if you are aware of a fact or issue that should be included in NEWS ALERT.
Phone: 281.316.8745 - fax: 281-3.316-2000
E-mail clarkk@co.galveston.tx.us
174 Calder Rd., League City, TX 77573