Burnet County ESD No. 3 can now levy sales tax with voters’ approval
Residents in Burnet County Emergency Services District No. 3 voted to allow the district to levy a sales tax to fund the area’s fire protection services during the Nov. 7 election. The tax could potentially offset property tax burdens on residents, proponents said.
Voters approved Proposition A 104-93, or 52.79 percent of the vote, to allow ESD No. 3 to tack on as much as a 2 percent sales tax in the unincorporated areas of Burnet County between eastern Kingsland and Wirtz Dam Road on RR 1431. ESD No. 3 provides funding for fire protection services to residents within its domain by collecting a 6.25 cents per $100 evaluation property tax, and now the sales tax.
The sales tax will increase from 6.25 percent to 8.25 percent, according to an FAQ page generated by ESD No. 3 officials. This will mainly affect the growing number of businesses on the east side of the Colorado River in Kingsland, including Wakepoint LBJ, La Tequila Jalisco, and the newly opened Dollar General at 14350 RR 1431. ESD No. 3 stretches to Wirtz Dam Road, but most of the businesses within the district’s geographical boundaries are in the Granite Shoals city limits and will not be impacted by the new tax.
“We are very much a resort area, and we have a lot of people that are in and out of (the district) that take advantage of our services,” ESD No. 3 board President Steve Tatom told DailyTrib.com. “The sales tax is a way that we could capture additional revenue. If the budget has other sources, then it’s likely that property taxes could be reduced.”
According to Tatom, the sales tax will help offset property taxes on residents within the district if costs remain the same.
Burnet County ESD No. 3 currently has a contract with Granite Shoals Fire and Rescue to provide fire protection services for $306,000 a year out of its approved 2023-24 fiscal year budget. The district is expected to bring in $409,792.70 total in the coming fiscal year.