FBISD Moves Towards Raising The Property Tax Rate Again (3rd time in as many years)

Higher tax rate expected in FBISD
September 13, 2010 4:26 pm
Zen T.C. Zheng, Houston Chronicle

In a few hours, the Fort Bend school district board of trustees is expected to approve a 3.5 cent tax rate increase for 2010-11.

The increase would occur on the debt service portion of the property tax rate while the maintenance and operation portion of the rate has been frozen at $1.04 per $100 assessed value.

If the board takes that action, the total property tax rate will go up to $1.34 per $100 assessed value from the current rate of $1.305.

District Chief Financial Officer Tracy Hoke said the rate hike is needed to service debt for part of the bond package voters approved in 2007, this time mainly the construction of the district’s 14th middle school in the Pecan Grove area....(this is the same bond package that was based on faulty growth and projection numbers and pushed by a special interest PAC headed up by the superintendent and Charlie Howard in 2007. Later at the 2008 district tax hearing Mr. Howard would oppose the 1st of 3 rate increases to cover the debt created by his 2007 PAC--ironic--)