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Home My WebLink AboutIR 7816 Nf 10( INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7816 April 5, 1994 GNpATEREO To the Mayor and Members of the City Council *�r"X Subject: AD VALOREM TAX EXEMPTION POLICIES AND PRACTICES 1873 State laws governing property tax administration provide for certain exemptions which may either partially or totally exempt real or personal property from taxation. Some exemptions require only that property meet certain criteria before the appraisal district may grant the property owner's application for exemption. Other exemptions require specific action by the taxing authority before the exemption may be requested by the property owner. Those exemptions currently being claimed by Fort Worth property owners and over which the City Council exercises no discretionary power are: AGRICULTURE EXEMPTION, FREEPORT EXEMPTION, DISABLED VETERANS EXEMPTION, SCENIC LAND EXEMPTION, and SOLAR AND WIND POWERED ENERGY DEVICES EXEMPTION. The City Council has the option, on an annual basis, to increase or decrease certain exemptions presently being claimed by property owners in Fort Worth. These "local option" exemptions include: 1. GENERAL RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION - exemption of not less than $5,000 and not to exceed 20% of appraised value (will remain at current level of 20% for Fort Worth citizens unless other action is taken by City Council prior to May 1). 2. SENIOR CITIZEN HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION - in addition to the General Residence Homestead Exemption, for the 65 or older property owner, an exemption of $3,000 of appraised value or larger, if larger amount is established by the governing body or by voters (will remain at current level of $40,000 unless revoked or increased by City Council). 3. DISABLED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION - exempts not less than $3,000 of assessed value for the homestead of disabled property owners, who are 100% disabled and unable to work due to their disability as determined by Social Security standards and confirmed by a physician (will remain at current level of $40,000 unless amended by the City Council prior to May 1). 4. HISTORIC SITES EXEMPTION - exemption of part or all of assessed value of property designated by the Texas Historical Commission or local governing body as an exempt historical site. (Practice by Fort Worth City Council has been to exempt increase in value resulting from renovation or preservation of a designated historical site - each site is presented to Council on an individual basis.) ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7816 TE April 5, 1994. oar S To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 3 Subject: AD VALOREM TAX EXEMPTION POLICIES AND PRACTICES pan 5. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR INDIGENT PERSONS - exempts residential property owned by the United States or an agency of the United States and used to provide transitional housing for the indigent under a program operated or directed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (The Community Enrichment Center, a non-profit corporation in Northeast Tarrant County currently cooperating with HUD to provide a comprehensive transitional housing program for Tarrant County homeless families, has leased 40 properties from HUD in 1994 that are in Fort Worth. The Council has approved this exemption for 1994. The estimated tax revenue loss for the FY1994-95 budget is $21,000.) A comparison of various tax exemptions in selected Texas cities is outlined below: RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS FREEPORT TRANSITIONAL GENERAL SR. CITIZENS DISABLED EXEMPTION HOUSING Arlington 20% $50,000 $50,000 no yes Austin None $51,000 $51,000 yes no Dallas 20% $64,000 $64,000 yes no El Paso None $15,000 $15,000 yes no Fort Worth 20% $40,000 $40,000 yes yes Houston 20% $32,340 $32,340 no no San Antonio None $60,000 None yes yes The average value of a single-family residence in Fort Worth is $52,096 for the 1993 tax year. Assuming the 1993 tax rate of $0.95/$100 value, the impact the various optional exemptions have on property with an average value, as well as property of greater and lesser values, is listed below: 1993 City Taxes on a House with a Value of: Exemption $52,096 $30,000 $80,000 No exemption $494.91 $285.00 $760.00 General Homestead 395.93 228.00 608.00 Sr. Citizen w/Gen. Homestead 15.93 0.00 228.00 Disabled Homestead 15.93 0.00 228-00 Indigent Housing 0.00 0.00 0.00 *Homeowner cannot claim both Senior Citizen and Disabled exemption. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7816 RTE April 5, 1994 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 3 of 3 0 Z Subject: AD VALOREM TAX EXEMPTION POLICIES AND PRACTICES 7873 The amounts of assessed value and tax revenue lost due to exemptions are presented on the following tables: Assessed Value Lost to Exemptions FY 1992-93 FY 1993-94 Total Assessed Value $16,510,441,000 $15,975,804,000 Value Lost to Exemptions: General Residence Homestead 981,396,000 1,034,756,000 Senior Citizen Homestead 808,310,000 818,591,000 Agriculture 407,124,000 290,294,000 Freeport Goods 561,286,000 556,110,000 Disabled Residence Homestead 49,981,000 56,247,000 Scenic Land 18,383,000 18,769,000 Disabled Veterans 5,525,000 8,030,000 Historic Sites 2,570,000 952,000 Solar & Wind Powered Energy Devices 14,000 14,000 Total Value Lost to Exemption $2,834,589,000 $2,783,763,000 Net Assessed Value (as of February) $13,675,852,000 $13,192,041,000 Estimated Revenue Lost to Exemptions FY 1992-93 FY 1993-94 General Residence Homestead* $9,323,000 $9,830,000 Senior Citizen Homestead* 7,679,000 7,777,000 Agriculture 3,868,000 2,758,000 Freeport Goods 5,332,000 5,283,000 Disabled Residence Homestead* 475,000 534,000 Scenic Land 175;000 178,000 Disabled Veterans 52,000 76,000 Historic Sites* 24,000 9,000 Solar &Wind Powered Energy Devices -0- -0- Total Revenue Lost to Exemptions $26,928,000 $26,445,000 Discretionary The last day the City Council may change the various local option homestead exemptions in order to impact the FY 1994-95 budget is April 30, 1994. Staff is available to provide additional information if the Council should require it. Property owners have until April 30th to apply for the various property tax exemptions currently offered by the City for the 1994 tax year. Bob Terrell City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS