How a Tax Rate Cut is a Tax Hike

The Richardson City Council voted to approve the 2021-2022 budget, a one cent tax rate cut, and ratified a tax increase. You read that right. Residents will enjoy a tax rate cut but the City is forced to say it's a tax increase. I doubt one person in a hundred can explain that. Don't blame the confusion on the City. It's the State of Texas who all but guarantees everything is always a tax increase.

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But enough about that. The RISD also had to say their recent bond election was for a tax increase, even though there was literally no change in the tax rate. Go back and read some of those posts (for example, this one: "Of Bonds and Taxes" if you want more information on this practice).

That made three votes. With seven council members, the vote total overall was 20-1. No one said anything about their vote. Literally, there was silence except for the "I move..." and "I second." Even the votes were simply a show of hands. The one lone "no" vote was Bob Dubey, who voted against the one cent cut in the tax rate without any explanation. As we were leaving the building, I asked him what his objection to the tax rate was. He replied, "I don't want to talk about it right now." And he was off.