One week after having to clarify how members voted after it appeared they voted down an annexation request, on Monday the issue of whether to annex just more than 10 acres for a proposed apartment complex was tabled.
During the meeting’s public forum, rental property owner Carson Matthies said the new apartment project would lead to a loss of renters for existing rental property owners. He said the fact that the Texas Housing Foundation would not pay property taxes gave the apartments an unfair advantage.
“It’s hard to compete if they’re not paying property taxes,” he said.
Snyder Mayor Tony Wofford said Snyder has needed housing according to every comprehensive plan compiled during the past 20 years.
“Are we expecting jobs to come in, a rise in oil prices or is something else coming in?” Matthies asked.
“All of the above,” Wofford said.
Because the discussion occurred during the public forum, no action was taken at that time.
When the time arrived for the council to take its second vote on the annexation request, council member Vernon Clay’s motion to approve the annexation did not receive a second. Several council members questioned the city’s expense to extend and maintain infrastructure to the project and asked about the status of an Allsup’s truckstop and retail shopping center that were long included in the project plans.
Utility director Eli Torres said he hadn’t seen a recent version of the plans and was unable to estimate current-market costs for the infrastructure projects.
Snyder City Manager Merle Taylor said the city staff recommended annexing the parcel and that the infrastructure expenses would be paid by the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) zone, which currently has a balance of about $352,000, according to the proposed city budget.
The council voted 4-1 to table annexation until an in-person public hearing could be held, with Clay voting against.
A public hearing on the city’s proposed 47 cent per $100 valuation tax rate was canceled after the city’s attorney Bryan Guymon received an update from the Texas Municipal League Monday afternoon that said tax rate public hearings must be in-person.
That also delayed two votes on budget-related matters. The public hearing and budget adoption schedule will be adjusted. Even though the 47 cent proposed tax rate is one cent lower than last year, it will generate $104,596 in additional revenue for the city because the city’s tax base increased.
Council member Sarah Jamison asked about lowering the rate even lower, which would require the city to draw more from its reserve funds or to cut expenses in the budget. Because the public hearing had been canceled, there was no action taken on setting the rate. The council approved four online bids to sell parcels to satisfy tax liens and called for the Nov. 3 election for the city council seat currently held by Steve Rich. He is being challenged by Mitch Hickman.