by Sahar Chmais
Buda’s proposed 2021 tax budget got all city council members’ approvals and it will lower tax rates for residents.
“We’re living in unprecedented times with this COVID and this pandemic,” council member Ray Bryant said, “and, even with that in mind, I am extremely impressed with the property rating that we have. The only city under us is Dripping Springs, but when you look at full service cities, we are at the bottom. I just want to say during these times it’s really impressive.”
The proposed budget, which will undergo further discussion in September, will have a tax rate of $0.3423, a decrease of $0.0073 from fiscal year 2020.
Council members all welcomed this change and tipped their hats to all staff members who worked on lowering these numbers. But this does not mean that residents will be paying less. Homeowners will have to factor in their home values, which have been increasing in the city of Buda.
For example, the average home value in 2019 was $265,915, but, in 2020, that average was $272,928.
Overall, the city has not reduced the quality of services it is providing residents in this proposed budget. And between the surrounding cities of Hutto, San Marcos, Leander, Kyle, Pflugerville, Austin, Cedar Park, New Braunfels and Round Rock, Buda has the lowest tax rate per $100 valuation.
