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Consider an ordinance amending Article II, Section 2-19, Code of Ordinances (2018 Edition) by establishing the third Thursday of September as a regular City Council meeting. (First Reading)*
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The Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) has announced that they will not have certified values before August 30, 2019 - more than a month after the standard July 25th deadline. In response to this delay, staff has restructured the calendar for adopting the FY 2020 property tax rate in accordance with Truth in Taxation requirements.
The City Charter requires that “any ordinance which … [deals] with budget and/or tax… shall be read at two regular meetings before the same shall become effective” (Sec. 3.13). The current adoption calendar has the Council taking action on the tax rate on September 12 and September 26. There will also be a Special called Council meeting on September 19 for the second public hearing on the tax rate.
In order to meet this adoption calendar, there will have to be a notice in the Austin American Statesman starting on September 5. Truth in Taxation requirements have strict notice of tax rate publication deadlines and if these deadlines can’t be met due to another delay in certification or newspaper deadlines, the Council will not be able to take official action on the tax rate until September 19, which is not a Regular Council Meeting.
Therefore, in an abundance of caution staff recommends adding a Regular Council Meeting on Thursday, September 19 which would allow for the first reading to adopt the tax rate ordinance to occur on that night. If the first reading is delayed to September 19, a Special called Council Meeting will be called for September 23 for the second public hearing, and final action will take place on September 26.