ARGYLE — Area taxpayers got sticker shock when they opened their estimated property tax bill this month, after the Den­ton Central Appraisal District used the wrong tax rate for the new Argyle-area Emer­gency Services District.

The estimates were calculated with a rate of 25 cents per $100 valuation, making most individual bills not only three times what the services district board has proposed, but also more than twice what Texas allows.

State law does not allow special districts, such as the newly formed services district, to charge more than 10 cents per $100 of property value. The district has estimated a rate of 8 cents per $100.

Deputy Chief Appraiser Rudy Durham said that an employee in the appraisal district office inadvertently listed the wrong tax rate to figure the estimated tax bill.

The appraisal district is working on a letter to tell taxpayers of the error, he said.

The letter will include the current estimated multiplier of 8 cents per $100 of property value, but taxpayers will have to do the math themselves.

Mac Hohenberger, chief of the Argyle Volunteer Fire District, said that he’s received more than 150 phone calls and 50 e-mail messages complaining about the 25 cent rate. He’s also heard rumors that a petition was being circulated to rescind the district, but so far, he’s not seen a copy of it.

He said that he could understand why people are upset.

“If I’d gotten a bill with a 25 cents rate, I would have signed the petition, too,” Hohenberger said.

Volunteers in the Argyle district spearheaded the election campaign in 2006 to establish the services district, which brings fire protection and emergency medical services to more than 16,000 people living in Argyle, Bartonville, Copper Canyon, Corral City and Northlake. The district was created by a majority vote Nov. 7. Most of the district is covered by Argyle, but the Roanoke and Justin fire departments cover certain portions around Northlake.

Services district officials asked the appraisal district to re-send the original notices, so that taxpayers could see the proper estimate. But re-sending that notice would trigger another 30-day window for people to appeal their valuations, so the appraisal district refused, Durham said.

The emergency services district also adopted exemptions for taxpayers older than 65 or with a qualifying disability, according to that district’s President Mike Sanford.

Those exemptions were included on the appraisal district’s notice, Durham said.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com .