10-24-05 Regular Meeting of Fiscal Affairs Committee Minutes

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• Green, Shannon From: Alexander, Cynthia Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 3:14 PM To: Green, Shannon Subject: FW: Burleson: council takes no action on exemption For audit committee. Original Message Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 200512:43 PM Subject: Burleson: council takes no action on exemption Monday, October 17, 2005 10-17 Council takes no action on exemption Cleburne Times Review By Joy E. Cressler/Staff Writer BURLESON -Nobody on the City Council made a sound when the mayor called for a motion to repeal a residence exemption for seniors if the tax freeze passes in the Nov. 8 election. Aspecial-called meeting was planned for today to consider three council action items, one of which is re-consideration of the senior homestead exemption that failed Thursday for lack of a motion, City Secretary Mary Kayser said. The city wants the exemption issue to be heard again with the full council present before the election. The city was seeking to avoid a situation where two property tax breaks were available to seniors at the same time, but none of the councilmen present who could have responded to the mayor's call for a motion offered one. Councilman James Bailey said he didn't believe the decision had to be made before the Nov. 8 election, nor with only four council members in attendance at Thursday's meeting. Council members Matt Powell, Claudia Humphreys and Chip Stephens were absent. "I felt there really wasn't good clarity on repealing the exemption,"Bailey said. "I'm not all that much in favor of the tax freeze. I don't think it's necessary in most cases since seniors don't have the expenses that young families do." According to tax freeze proponent R.D. Scott of Burleson, freezing the city's portion of his taxes would amount to about $40 per year. County and school taxes are frozen for seniors. For Scott, the tax freeze would lock city