Amongst packed court room County leaders push 65+ property tax appraisal freeze idea to the voters in November

By Anton Riecher
Medina County commissioners gave unanimous consent Thursday (July 28) to add a measure to the Nov. 8 ballot seeking voter approval to freeze the appraisal value on property owned by residents over 65 years old.

Continue reading “Amongst packed court room County leaders push 65+ property tax appraisal freeze idea to the voters in November”

New tax exemption or freeze to be discussed at July 28th Medina County meeting 10 AM

New freeze could affect residents 65 and over.

Medina County Commissioners Jerry Beck, David Lynch, Larry Sittre, and Tim Nueman, along with Judge Chris Schuchart will be discussing the possible tax freeze for 65 and older this Thursday.

If you would like to see an over 65 exemption on your Medina County taxes like the school districts offer, please contact your county judge and commissioner to let them know you would like to see this offered to senior citizens over the age of 65.
What the Devine ISD taxing unit offers is an over 65 residence homestead exemption which freezes your tax rate and appraised evaluation from the moment of exemption on as long as that is your homestead.
Medina County is considering and may take action on what they can or want to offer in the form of a tax exemption or freeze at the 10:00 am July 28, 2022 Medina County Commissioners Court meeting at the new courthouse annex which is across the road from the old courthouse in Hondo.
It’s time to speak up and/or show up if you want to see an exemption passed. It would help many people.
“I think people are ready for any kind of tax relief right now,” said Commissioner Jerry Beck.
Contact: Medina County Judge Chris Schuchart at 830-741-6020.
Pct. 1 Comm. Tim Neumann, Hondo, 830-741-6016
Pct. 2 Comm. Larry Sittre, Castroville, 830-931-4000
Pct. 3 Comm. David Lynch, Hondo, 830-741-6006
Pct. 4 Comm. Jerry Beck, Devine, 210-244-3413 cell or 830- 665-8015.

Medina County discusses $850K study
for new “loop” around Castroville


The Medina County Commissioner’s Court met for their regular meeting on July 14, discussing a variety of important issues including proposals for the Castroville Loop to ease traffic due to the booming growth there.
The County Commissioners discussed the need for notice of any surcharge on countywide bids, prior to accepting any bid. All agreed this would enable discussion of the surcharge before any bids are accepted. All members voted to approve this proposal.

Continue reading “Medina County discusses $850K study
for new “loop” around Castroville”

If you want to see a new tax exemption or freeze for 65 and older, contact your Medina County Commissioner

If you would like to see an over 65 exemption on your Medina County taxes like the school districts offer, please contact your county judge and commissioner to let them know you would like to see this offered to senior citizens over the age of 65.
What the Devine ISD taxing unit offers is an over 65 residence homestead exemption which freezes your tax rate and appraised evaluation from the moment of exemption on as long as that is your homestead.
Medina County is considering and may take action on what they can or want to offer in the form of a tax exemption or freeze at the 10:00 am July 28, 2022 Medina County Commissioners Court meeting at the new courthouse annex which is across the road from the old courthouse in Hondo.
It’s time to speak up and/or show up if you want to see an exemption passed. It would help many people.
“I think people are ready for any kind of tax relief right now,” said Commissioner Jerry Beck.
Contact: Medina County Judge Chris Schuchart at 830-741-6020.
Pct. 1 Comm. Tim Neumann, Hondo, 830-741-6016
Pct. 2 Comm. Larry Sittre, Castroville, 830-931-4000
Pct. 3 Comm. David Lynch, Hondo, 830-741-6006
Pct. 4 Comm. Jerry Beck, Devine, 210-244-3413 cell or 830- 665-8015.

6-1 vote, Natalia enters Guardian Program to protect schools

By Anton Reicher
The Natalia ISD school board voted Monday to approve proposed 2022-2023 district budget of $13.5 million, a 7.6 percent increase from the previous year.
Also, the board voted 6-1 to institute the Texas School Guardian Program, an integrated school security program to manage the risk of active shooter violence by arming key members of the staff and faculty. The program is already in place in the Devine, Hondo and D’Hanis school districts.
Regarding the budget vote, the new budget raises the starting pay for classroom teachers five percent. Under the new compensation plan, teachers will see a minimum increase of $750 up to $3,850 depending on the years of experience held.
Board president Eric Smith attributed the balanced budget to district director of finance Norma Fiddle working closely with the district administrators.
In other action, the board heard presentations from the district administration and the Medina County Sheriff’s Office about the Guardian program, developed as an effort to have an armed defensive approach to an active shooter on campus.
“We will be working with the city and the sheriff’s office to select appropriate staff members for the program,” Smith said. “We also implemented a $500 stipend for the staff members who will be going through the rigorous training to be ready for the next school year.”
The action comes in the wake of the May 24 shooting massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Smith said the action by the board was informed by a community survey conducted by the district in which 88 percent of the 700 responses favored research into the possible adoption of the program.
The program requires 16 hours of training by a licensed and certified Department of Public Safety instructor. Training requires live fire qualification and simulation exercises.
Paul Almendarez voted against implementing the new security program, with all other board members voting in favor.

Medina County Commissioners hears budget requests and concerns

Medina County Judge Chris Schuchart plaques and certificates honoring county employees for their service during the June 30 commissioners court meeting. In the foreground at left, Marla Winder receives special notice upon her retirement after 16 years of service. Foreground right, Jessica Medina, sheriff’s office dispatcher, and Joey Catina, sheriff’s deputy, get certificates for 10 years service. Two honored who were not present were Tony Agular, a sheriff’s deputy for 20 years, and Cindy Sandoval, sheriff’s office records clerk for 10 years.

By Anton Reicher
The Medina County Commissioners Court spent the week leading to the Fourth of July conducting one regular meeting and two budget workshop sessions with a strong emphasis on law enforcement requirements.
Making presentations to the court were Sheriff Randy Brown, District Attorney Mark Haby, County Court-at-Law Judge Mark Cashion, Precinct 2 Constable Jim Przybylski, Justice of the Peace Glenn Klaus, Juvenile Probation Officer Lynette Drury and pre-trial services administrator Dorothy Hastings.
Commissioners also heard from county clerk Gina Champion, county auditor Eduardo Lopez, elections administrator Lupe Torres and veterans’ services officer Ruben Gonzalez and representatives of the county’s agricultural extension service office.
Sheriff Brown addressed the court on his plans to increase jail revenue during the coming budget year. With the final completion of the jail addition and renovation project in January, the county expects an extra $375,000 in revenue to come from renting jail space to entities such as the U.S. Marshals Service.
The expected revenue is calculated based on $55 a bed daily divided by two.
“When we swing the doors open, we’re hoping to have enough jailers to handle it,” Brown said.
Also discussed during Brown’s presentation was the delay in delivery of nine Chevrolet Tahoes ordered by the county for the sheriff’s office in October 2021. The delays are being blamed on COVID-19 pandemic supply chain issues.
“I’m literally disgusted,” County Auditor Lopez said.
Equipment needed to put eight of the nine vehicles in operating conditions arrived at the “upfitting” facility on June 29, he said.
“They are telling me the ninth one is there but I can’t verify that,” Lopez said.
The county has been notified that two other vehicles ordered, a Ford F250 and a Ford F150, may be so behind schedule that the trucks delivered will be 2023 models, not 2022 models. Unfortunately, these vehicles will be subject to any price increases for the newer models.
“I have no idea what to expect on these vehicles,” Lopez said. “It’s a complete train wreck right now.”
Lopez, in a separate presentation, asked commissioners for $67,500 to cover indirect costs from the move to consolidate the public defenders’ office for five counties to be based in Medina County. He also asked for the hiring of a new full-time employee to be split between his office and human resources to help with new increase in personnel that the completion of the jail project represents.
Constable Przybylski presented his argument for a salary increase from $33,211 to $48,500, plus an increased travel allowance. He reported that since 2013 his office has made 2,937 traffic stops with 2,280 citations and arrest warrants served.
In citations, the office has collected $320,000 since 2015 with nearly $34,000 in civil process fines collected together with the justice of the peace’s office in the same period.
“We’re not just sitting there, running traffic and speed traps,” Przybylski said.
District Attorney Haby told commissioners his budget included slight increases in various categories but “nothing shocking.” Those increases included raises in salaries for prosecutors.
“Hiring and retaining skilled prosecutors in rural areas is a challenge,” Haby said, particularly when in close proximity to a large metropolitan county such as Bexar.
A first assistant district attorney in Medina County makes just over $90,000 annually, Haby said. In Bexar County, the same position pays nearly $177,000.
Juvenile probation officer Drury asked for an increase of $153,000 in her budget, calling the need “critical.”
“The majority of it is going to placements and detention,” Drury said. “Those are going up significantly across the state.”
Justice of the Peace Klaus asked to upgrade a part-time employee to help deal with the escalating number of drug cases filed in his jurisdiction.
Aside from law enforcement issues, veterans’ services officer Gonzalez took the opportunity to recognize a recent success for his office, correcting a Veteran’s Administration error that allowed one client to recover $408,000 in unpaid health care benefits.
During the regular court meeting on June 30, the commissioners heard a presentation from Mark Miller of Westwood County Engineering on the development of a master drainage plan for Medina County.
Priorities for the plan are to identify risk, develop project concepts, develop funding goals and partnerships, develop mechanisms to increase drainage infrastructure funding and coordinate the project with state and federal agencies such as the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
In subdivision development news, the commissioners approved plans to vacate and replat Lot 20 in Holiday Villages located in Precinct 1 on County Road 151. No comments were heard during a public hearing on the request.
The commissioners gave final approval on Desert Willow Acres and Hunters Ranch Unit 14A, both in Precinct 3. The court also approved the construction plan for Amanda Park in Precinct 2, permitting building to begin.

DYSA donates $42,350 to re-do basketball courts in Devine

Construction ongoing at the basketball courts on Warhorse Drive. The large donation and rehab of these courts is exciting for the community and local families who will enjoy playing ball here for years to come.

At the June 20th school board meeting, the board approved the funding donated by DYSA to re-do the basketball courts across from the Intermediate School.
A motion made by Chris Davis to approve the funding, seconded by Carl Brown, passed by vote of five to zero.
The board also approved a $42,350 donation by the Devine Youth Sports Association to renovate a basketball court near the intermediate school. Donations to the district greater than $2,000 must be approved by the board.
Work planned involves stripping off the old asphalt, adding curbing around the court and filling it with fresh asphalt. Future donations by the association would cover the cost of painting the court.
“Quite a nice donation for them to take care of that basketball court,” board president Nancy Pepper said.

Over 4,200 protesting tax appraisals in Medina Co.


A seven-percent salary increase for Medina County Appraisal District employees to compensate for record inflation became a last minute addition to the preliminary 2022-23 budget approved by the district’s board of directors June 14.
Before the additional salary increase, the preliminary budget stood at $1.553 million, an increase of nearly $100,000 more than the previous year. That budget included a five percent salary hike and funds for additional computer services.
“We have to look at all the dollars but I think that’s just an area where we have to make that adjustment,” MCAD board chairman Tim Hardt said. “I think a five percent increase doesn’t even keep up with the cost of living.”
State law required action on a preliminary budget by June 15, chief appraiser Johnette Dixon told the board.
The board also discussed an increase in the vehicle allowance paid to the district’s eight appraisers who use their own vehicles.
“Only a handful of appraisal districts actually pay mileage,” Dixon said. “The majority pay appraisers either a vehicle allowance or own their own vehicles for employees to use.”

Continue reading “Over 4,200 protesting tax appraisals in Medina Co.”

Appraised values top $3.83 Billion in Medina County 2020-2021



According to the most recent audit reported for the previous fiscal year, Medina County’s fiscal year 2020-2021 budget had a new taxable appraised value of $3.83 Billion, an increase of $364 million (10.5%) from the previous fiscal year (2019-2020).
This increase is mainly due to new properties and property values, according to the auditor.
-Property taxes accounted for $22,196,235
Clarification to our June 1st article on county revenues: The audit presented to Medina County Commissioner’s court last month, for the year ending September 30, 2021, showed the following:

  • Medina County’s total revenues were over $36 million ($36,090,346). A breakdown of the revenues in the report titled “Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Balances of Governmental funds for the fiscal year ending in September 30, 2021” were categorized as follows: General $23,609,346 + Debt Service $2,390,479 + Certificates of Obligation $54,572 + American Rescue Plan Grants $583,314 + Other Govermental $9,452,635 = Total Governmental Fund Revenues $36,090,346.
    -The ending fund balance was $24,187, 241.

Highlights from Auditor’s financial analysis:
Differences between the original budget and the final amended budget for fiscal year ending Sept 30, 201, can be summarized as follows:
-Actual revenue exceeded budgeted revenue by $2.9 million
-Actual revenues exceeded expenditures by $4.4 million

By Kayleen Holder and KK Calame