City of Bulverde budget adoption update

The City of Bulverde is voting to adopt their 2025 FY Budget on Thursday September 5th at 6pm, at the Bulverde City Hall (30360 Cougar Bend, Bulverde, TX; 830-483-3612)!

According to the Bulverde’s Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase, the situation is as follows:

Tax Rate

  • 2023 (adopted): $0.197090 per $100/value

  • 2024 (proposed): $0.229807 per $100/value

  • 16.6 % increase

  • No-new-revenue tax rate: $0.195618 per $100/value

  • Voter-approval tax rate: $0.203638 per $100/value

Property Value

  • 2023 average taxable value of homestead: $420,572

  • 2024 average taxable value of homestead: $469,071

  • 11.53% increase

Tax Bill (city portion only)

  • 2023 tax bill on average homestead (actual): $828

  • 2024 tax bill on average homestead (proposed): $1,078

  • 30.04% increase

Tax Levy

  • 2023 levy (actual): $2,785,357

  • 2024 levy (proposed): $3,476,031

  • 24.79% increase

City officials are entertaining a major tax increase that will noticeably impact the average resident. In fact, according to the city’s materials, the typical homeowner will experience a 30%+ growth in their city-specific tax bill—this is a very large increase that the public should be aware of!

Another thing to note is that city officials are proposing a significant rate increase at a time when property values are experiencing major growth as well. Those 2 factors combine to put tremendous upward pressure on tax bills.

According to the Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase, the proposed tax rate ($0.229807 per $100/value) is more than the voter-approval tax rate ($0.203638 per $100/value), but not more than the de minimis tax rate ($0.229807 per $100/value). For Bulverde residents, that means: If the City of Bulverde adopts the proposed tax rate, the qualified voters of the City of Bulverde may petition the City of Bulverde to require an election to be held to determine whether to reduce the proposed tax rate. If a majority of the voters reject the proposed tax rate, the tax rate of the City of Bulverde will be the voter-approval tax rate of the City of Bulverde.

Tax cuts from the legislature become obsolete when these local municipalities do not adopt the no new revenue tax rate. Please connect with your city, and push them to adopt a no new revenue rate for the 2025 Fiscal Year!

Carrie Isaac