BISD passes tax rate, budget for upcoming fiscal year

Breckenridge ISD approved their 2022-2023 budget and tax rate following a public hearing last Monday, Aug. 29 at the BISD Administration Building.

No members of the public spoke during the hearing, and both the budget and tax rate passed unanimously.

The board approved a tax rate of $0.9429 per $100 of valuation. The approved rate is a decrease from the current rate of $0.9897 per $100 of valuation.

The tax rate of $0.9429 was set for maintenance and operations, with zero dollars going towards interesting and sinking. The tax rate was the highest the district could adopt without triggering an election, where voters could approve or disapprove of the rate.

According to the district’s pubic notice, the total appraised value of all property within the district increased by $174,831,408, from $679,004,676 in 2021 to $853,836,084 in the upcoming fiscal year.

The total appraised val- ue increased from $541,352,534 in 2021 to $681,518,954, a difference of $140,166,420.

The decrease in tax rate with also lower the average property owners’ tax bill for the district, by $24.76, from $733.76 to $709.

At the approved tax rate, the district will bring in $4,552 per student with local revenues, an increase of $811. The state revenue per student will decrease from $7,284 to $6,518.

Budget

The board of trustees approved a balanced budget following last Tuesday’s public hearing, with revenues from all three funds totaling $16,773,703 and expenditures equaling the same amount.

“So our total projected expenditures come out to equal our revenue at $15,452,453. And all of the funds that the board adopts, which is our 199 General Fund, our 599 Debt Service Fund, and our 240 Food Service Fund, all balance out. So we will be approving three balanced budgets tonight,” BISD Superintendent Bryan Allen said during the hearing.

The district increased the total budget by $864,786 over last year’s budget. The General Fund was increased from $14,451,193 in 2021-2022 to $15,452,453 in 2022-2023, a difference of $1,001,260.

The Food Service Fund was decreased $135,499, from $856,599 to $721,100, with the Debt Service decreasing $975 from last year’s, from $601,125 to $600,150.