Kerrville City Council authorizes higher tax rate calculation following July 4 flood

The Kerrville City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday night authorizing the county tax assessor-collector to calculate the voter-approval tax rate using an 8% cap instead of the standard 3.5% cap above the no-new-revenue rate, following the path set by Kerr County commissioners last week.

The decision comes as the city continues recovering from the devastating July 4 flood that killed at least 107 people and prompted federal disaster declarations for the area.

Resolution No. 21-2025 allows the city to consider tax rates up to 8% above the no-new-revenue rate if needed to support recovery efforts and offset lost property values, rather than being limited to the standard 3.5% cap. The Texas Tax Code permits this higher threshold for jurisdictions in declared disaster areas.

Mayor Joe Herring Jr. and the council emphasized that the resolution does not set an actual tax rate but provides flexibility during the recovery process.

Several citizens addressed the council during the public comment period, expressing concerns about potential tax increases that would affect families already struggling in the aftermath of the disaster.

“We acknowledge the disaster, but we’re concerned about the bad optics and potential negative impact on the community, particularly young people and working families, if taxes were to increase,” said George Baroody, a persistent gadfly, who was one of four speakers who addressed the tax issue.

Baroody suggested using the city’s fund balance for recovery efforts instead of raising taxes.

Other speakers, including Glenn Andrew and Paul Mitchell, praised city staff, first responders and elected officials for their response to the flood disaster.

“We want to express profound gratitude for the city staff, first responders, utilities team and especially the City Council and Mayor Joe Herring Jr. for their superlative leadership, compassion and tireless efforts,” Andrew said.

The council also approved other business on Tuesday, including:

— A unanimous vote on Resolution No. 20-2025, authorizing fund transfers to pay employee group benefits for fiscal year 2026.

— Change Order No. 1 for $119,766.13 for the Cailloux Theater roof and HVAC replacement project, bringing the total contract with Guido Construction Company to $3.12 million, still within the $3.5 million project budget.

— The appointment of Lamar Davis to fill a vacancy on the Recovery Community Coalition.

During the workshop session that preceded the regular meeting, council members received updates on public safety facility construction, flood recovery efforts, and community resources, including FEMA, Small Business Administration assistance, and debris management operations.

The council met in executive session to discuss the Whiskey Springs Development and administrative personnel matters but reported no action taken in closed session.

The meeting adjourned at 7:43 p.m.