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City of Weston Sales Tax: Council Discussion

Published: July 31, 2023

As our population increases, there is a need for increasing city services -- and the City must be able to afford funding these services. Public services needed in Weston with the growth that is coming:

• Police
• Ambulance
• Additional aid to Weston Fire Rescue
• Road Improvements (to existing and expanded roads to handle traffic growth)
• Park Land/Park Development

1. The money needed will not come from new property taxes for the Venetian and Honey Creek developments. The City is held to a Development Agreement signed in 2005 and amended several times since. Most of the city property tax from these homes is designated to reimburse the developers for bonds they receive for infrastructure (streets and utilities) within the new development, until the bonds are paid off.

2. New revenue is needed to help pay for costs of existing roads and increasing services. We’ve been advised by our city consultant that our 1% sales tax is inadequate. This amount was approved in 1975, with 26 votes for, and 2 votes nay. All other cities around us have a 2% sales tax – which is the maximum allowed for city sales tax in Texas (and brings the total sales tax to 8.25%).

3. One major way the additional 1% will bring in revenue is to make an agreement with the developers to site all materials they purchase for building homes and commercial structures. This captures the sales tax to be assigned to Weston, rather than to the cities where the materials are purchased or shipped from.

4. To increase our sales tax from 1% to 2% we must call an election for residents to vote on. We have time to get this on the November ballot by following this schedule:

Thursday, July 27, 7pm: Special Called Council Meeting and Town Hall to inform residents of the need to increase the sales tax and answer their questions, before getting it on the ballot.

Tuesday, August 8, 6:30pm: Regular Scheduled Council Meeting for Council to consider and act upon a resolution to call an election to increase the sales tax rate. Our attorney will draft the resolution for Council to review and vote on.

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This will bring the total sales tax to 8.25% for purchases in Weston and by Westonians, the same as all cities around us.

If anyone has questions, they can attend the August 8th council meeting and sign up to speak during public comment at the beginning of the meeting.

Van Buren Estates HOA