Burnet County burn ban continues; commissioners set proposed tax rate
Burnet County commissioners on Aug. 14 removed an emergency declaration from the county burn ban but left the ban in place. The ban prohibits outdoor burning. The disaster declaration, which prohibited outdoor cooking and welding, was made July 30 in response to the Park Road 4 fire. Courtesy photo by James Oakley
STAFF WRITER JARED FIELDS
BURNET — Burnet County commissioners voted during the Aug. 14 regular meeting to remove the emergency declaration from the county burn ban but leave one in place.
The disaster declaration was made July 30 in response to the Park Road 4 fire. It banned not only outdoor burning but also outdoor cooking and welding in unincorporated areas of Burnet County.
Yesterday’s vote returns the county to a somewhat “normal” burn ban, which only prohibits outdoor burning.
Other action included the setting of a proposed tax rate for the 2018-19 fiscal year. Commissioners voted for a 1.74 percent reduction in the tax rate from $0.3969 to $0.3900 per $100 valuation.
Public hearings on the tax rate and budget will be held Aug. 28 and Sept. 11 before both are scheduled to be adopted Sept. 25.
The court also increased its grant amount to Williamson Burnet County Opportunities to $10,000 for the organization’s Meals on Wheels program. The previous amount had been $5,400.
“It was requested based on utilization,” Burnet County Judge James Oakley said. “The number of seniors participating in that and the number who qualify justifies that (financial) amount.”