MARFA—The Marfa City Council held a public hearing on its proposed tax rate for next year — a whopping 70% increase over last year’s rate that would fund a $5 million tax note debt to pay for street improvements and new smart water meters.
The water meters were estimated to cost $800,000 in a previous presentation from a vendor, while the street repairs would make up the rest of the debt proposed.
Only three people attended the hearing, with one—Eileen Myles—particularly concerned about the impact the hike would have on their home in Marfa. Myles called the hike “unfair,” “unjust” and a “kick in the teeth” to residents trying to afford living here.
The 2024 adopted tax rate (per $100 of value) was $.328250. The 2025 proposed tax rate is $.55644. The percentage difference between tax rates is a 69.5% increase. The increase on an average home value of $134,408 would be $747.90, a 50% increase from last year.
Although the rate is dramatically higher, the impact on homeowners could vary widely, depending on a variety of factors related to whether the property is a homestead and eligible for exemptions on the value of the home. The city also is one of the smallest taxing entities in the list of government entities taxing, with the school district taking the largest chunk of taxes.
Mayor Manny Baeza said that the biggest concern he hears on a regular basis from constituents is the potholes, and Marfans are supportive of moving forward with repairs and realize the cost.
“That’s where it all comes down to is the debt,” said Councilmember Travis Acreman. “So that we can improve the streets and buy the [smart] meters. However, comments from council members indicated that they were still agreeable to considering other options.
Marfa resident Ruben Madrid presented one—actually taxing at a slightly higher rate that would require voter approval. “What’s the harm in waiting and letting these people vote for this fix,” he said.
Marfa resident Robert Davis had a long list of questions, particularly on the costs and implementation of the smart water meters that were answered to some extent during the public hearing, but also on individual budget line items. Baeza reminded Davis that budget discussions were a workshop designed for council member discussions.
The City Council did not yet approve the rate and is awaiting a public hearing on the budget set for tonight at 6 p.m. at City Hall, with a Monday 6 p.m. meeting set to approve both a tax rate and a budget.