10-11-2004 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e Green, Shannon From: Sent: To: Subject: Alexander, Cynthia Wednesday, October 13, 20041:18 PM Green, Shannon FW: Rockport: over-65 tax freeze touted; detractors say plan unfairly shifts tax burden For Audit Committee. c -Original Message- Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 8:17 AM To: alexanderc@Ci.la-porte.tx.us Subject: Rockport: over-65 tax freeze touted; detractors say plan unfairly shifts tax burden Rockport over-65 tax freeze touted Detractors say plan unfairly shifts tax burden By Jaime Powell Corpus Christi Caller-Times October 8, 2004 ROCKPORT - Business and real estate officials say they have collected more than 500 signatures in an effort to force a vote on a tax freeze for Rockport residents who are 65 or older. To force a referendum, Citizens for Responsible Government needs signatures from 5 percent of Rockport's 5,922 registered voters or 297 total. The petition must be presented by Oct. 18, said City Secretary Irma Parker. Delo Caspary, the group's leader, said the signatures were collected at Key Allegro Real Estate, Rockport-Fulton Real Estate and Mark Uhr's Rockport Properties. Caspary will turn them in to city officials next week. Not everybody is in favor of the tax freeze, saying it actually amounts to higher taxes on property owners under the age of 65. After the necessary signatures are certified by Parker, the election would be set for the first Saturday in February. Caspary said the election is necessary because the city refuses to approve a tax freeze for people 65 and older. The Aransas County Independent School District has had a tax freeze in place for this group since 1979. And in February, Aransas County froze taxes for people who are 65 and older. Election called necessary 1