During their Sept. 13 meeting, the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District (HPWD) Board of Directors approved a resolution reducing the 2016 ad valorem tax rate to $.0075 per $100 valuation for operation and maintenance of the district.
Persons with $100,000 in property value will pay $7.50 in taxes to HPWD under the approved rate, compared to $8.03 in 2015. Overall, the lower tax rate will decrease tax revenue by about six percent as compared to 2015.
“I am pleased to announce that the HPWD Board of Directors have adopted the lowest ad valorem tax rate in the past 20 years,” said Board President Lynn Tate of Amarillo. “Beginning three years ago, the Board set a priority to achieve balanced annual budgets. We have worked diligently with HPWD management to get to this point which allows us to reduce the 2016 tax rate,” he said.
HPWD Board Vice-President Brad Heffington of Littlefield agreed.
“Our five-member Board appreciates the efforts of Manager Jason Coleman and the district staff in streamlining services and cutting expenses of the district. We are pleased that we are able to reduce the 2016 tax rate for operation of the district, while at the same time, improving services for constituents in our 16-county service area,” Heffington said.
In other business, the HPWD Board adopted an order canceling the Nov. 8, 2016 general election in District Director Precincts Three and Four; took action to amend the approved 2016 budget; engaged Halff Associates for consulting services to upgrade the district’s SQL database; and heard a presentation concerning HPWD supported Dockum Aquifer research from Dr. Venkatesh Uddameri, P.E., director of the Texas Tech University Water Resources Center.
Created in 1951 by local residents and the Texas Legislature, the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District is charged with the responsibility of conserving, preserving, protecting, and preventing the waste of groundwater within its 16-county service area. It celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2016.
Visit www.hpwd.com for more information. You can also find HPWD on Facebook and Twitter.
(News release from the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District)
