Higher property and mineral valuations contributed to the county’s largest tax roll ever, but the tax bill on the average city home will still cost about $57 more in city and county taxes this year.

Few cities budged on their tax rates, even though average home valuations in Denton County increased more than 7 percent over last year.

Lewisville, Argyle and Shady Shores were the only three cities to lower their tax rates.

Thirteen Denton County cities kept their tax rates the same, and 11 others raised their rates.

Even though Denton County also raised its tax rate, the owner of an average home will likely see relief overall. That’s because school taxes dropped 30 cents, on average, translating into about $538 in savings for homeowners.

Per capita spending

An analysis of city spending showed a wide range being expended per person for basic city services, such as road repairs and animal control. On average, 18 area cities spend about $774 per person per year.

Denton, Aubrey, Justin and Hickory Creek plan to spend at least $200 more than the average, while DISH, Double Oak, Sha­dy Shores and Copper Canyon plan on spending at least $200 less than the average.

Cities that spend more tend to offer more in city services, particularly public safety, parks and libraries.

But even DISH, with just $362.38 to spend per person, has pressed forward with proposals to reinstate its animal control, start a library, and build a small park around its Town Hall on Tim Donald Road.

Drainage

Proposed expenditures for street and drainage work also showed a wide range of responses by area cities after flooding spring rains showed inadequacies in drainage systems.

Argyle town engineers had nearly completed a master drainage study at the time of the April 24 rains, which damaged at least nine homes inside the town limits. After viewing dramatic video captured by police car cameras during the storm, the town council accepted amended recommendations by the town engineer to fix problems at more than a dozen trouble spots around town. However, no capital improvement projects were planned for next year.

Town administrator Lyle Dresher said he was too new on the job to have prepared a capital improvement projects plan for this year but plans on doing so for next year.

However, the town did add two new public works employees, he said, which means the town can perform maintenance work it hadn’t been able to before.

Denton City Council members say they raised taxes in fiscal 2008 in part to speed up drainage projects after spring flooding brought the issue to the forefront. The worst storm came April 24, when an estimated 175 Denton homes and businesses suffered flood damage.

The city’s property tax rate rose 4 cents per $100 valuation, and a fourth of the increase allows for the sale of bonds to fund about $7 million in drainage improvements.

Shifting tax bite

Many Hickory Creek property owners hoping to see a better bottom line on their tax bill may come up shy, even after a 27 cent reduction for every $100 of property value in the Lake Dallas school tax rate.

The average Hickory Creek home value increased more than 8 percent, and the town raised next year’s tax rate more than 14 cents. That means school taxes on an average-priced home in Hickory Creek decreased by about $500, but city and county taxes increased by about $330.

Town administrator Mike Deason said the town’s rate change was needed not only to cover new bonds voted in this spring but also to cover some older debt.

“It was a major restructuring,” Deason said. “The previous administration never did do that.”

Several years ago, town leaders had pledged to pay back about $2.8 million worth of construction debt with sales tax money collected for economic development. State law allows only some of that construction, which built Ronald Reagan Avenue and a new town hall, to be repaid that way.

The new bonds, approved in the May general election, will pay for a new public works building, $2.8 million for roads and $1.75 million for drainage projects.

Emergency Services

The formation of a new fire district for people living in the greater Argyle area means property owners there will see a new taxing entity on their bill: Emergency Services District No. 1.

The district has adopted a tax rate of 8.2597 cents per $100 to provide fire and ambulance service to residents in Argyle, Bartonville, Copper Canyon, Corral City and portions of Northlake and Denton.

The formation of the district meant that the towns themselves no longer must contribute to the Argyle, Justin or Roanoke fire districts for coverage in their area.

But property tax rates in those areas did not change appreciably to reflect that savings. In fact, Copper Canyon raised its property tax rate by 2 cents.

Corral City, which has a convenience store and Paradise Liquors on FM407 and Interstate 35W, does not collect municipal property taxes.  

Other taxing entities

Cross Roads also operates without municipal property taxes. Area fresh water supply districts continue to charge, on average, 90 cents to $1 per $100 valuation to service their construction debt.

With a 10 percent spike in Lantana home valuations last year, homeowners not only pay among the highest rates, but among the highest total bills. The average home valuation in Lantana’s Fresh Water Supply District No. 6 came in at $297,176. Although Lantana homeowners have been exempted from paying the emergency services tax directly, the owner of an average home will pay about $7,900 in school, county and district taxes next year.

Staff writer Lowell Brown contributed to this report.

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