Amarillo City Council discuss tax increase, residents likely to vote

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The Amarillo voters will likely get to vote on a 22 percent tax increase that caused a tense exchange in today’s City Council meeting.

City commissioners voted to set a ceiling on a tax increase to 48 cents for $100 of property value.

The current rate is about 40 cents.

That would be more than a new state limit on increases without an election in November

Only Councilman Cole Stanley voted against it. Mayor Ginger Nelson called that a political move and said he had previously agreed to the move.

Stanley said he didn’t oppose what the money would go to.

Council priorities include police and fire, parks and streets, but if voters don’t approve, there would still be an increase to 42 cents. Stanley said he had not understood that before.

There will be two meetings in August to finalize the rate and the budget.

The full increase would add $5.60 per month to the bill for a $100,000 home.

That increase would only be on the city’s portion of tax bills which is about one 5th of the total bill.

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