(Update: The meeting is in executive session. Please check back for more livestreams on KSAT.com.)
KERR COUNTY, Texas – Kerr County residents and business owners will ask leaders to take steps towards restoring recreational activities on Ingram Lake and the Guadalupe River on Monday.
In a marathon meeting with more than 50 agenda items, the Kerr County Commissioners’ Court will discuss flood warning systems, provide a status update on flood recovery efforts and reschedule a public hearing on its budget.
Ingram residents are requesting the county to drain Ingram Lake so that debris can be removed.
Residents told KSAT they have seen foul-smelling bubbles of oil and other pollutants rise through the lake, following the Hill Country floods.
One business owner is also asking the county to clarify which parts of the Guadalupe River are clear of debris so that recreational activities can resume on the river.
The business owner proposed posting signage to clarify which parts of the river are safe.
Commissioners will review plan to implement flood warning system
The commissioners’ court will also hear a presentation for an enhanced flood warning system.
The plan, which would be in cooperation with Kerrville, Ingram and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, will be split into three phases of development.
While the proposal does not outline specific improvements, it sets goals that the new plan should accomplish.
Kerr County postpones budget hearing, takes possibility of largest property tax increase off the table
The meeting was also supposed to serve as the public hearing for the county’s budget, but it will have to be rescheduled because it was not properly announced in its newspaper of record, the Kerrville Daily Times.
Kerr County commissioners will vote to move the public hearing to Sept. 2 and the adoption of the budget on Sept. 8.
The commissioners, seemingly as a show of trust with the community, will take the largest property tax rate increase possible off the table.
Early in the budget process, the commissioners voted to allow Tax Assessor-Collector Bob Reeves to calculate the maximum property tax rate using a disaster provision in the tax code.
In subsequent meetings, County Judge Rob Kelly introduced a budget keeping the property tax rate at 42.33 cents per $100. Commissioners debated whether to drop rates even lower.
Currently, the county could choose to raise the property tax rate to 48.67 cents per $100.
However, if the court votes to rescind the order allowing the higher calculation, the tax rate could only go as high as 46.01 cents per $100.
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