UPDATED: Cedar Hill, Duncanville voters reject property tax increases

by Brian Allen of of Best Southwest Citizen

Cedar Hill and Duncanville school districts will attempt to raise their tax rates to the maximum amount allowed by the state in elections today. The 13-cent increase from $1.04 per to $1.17 per $100 valuation would add an additional $130 for every $100,000 of home value.

With the economy in a vulnerable state, district officials have reason to be concerned that voters will rebuff the measures. If approved, Cedar Hill and Duncanville’s school property tax rates would be among the state’s highest.

School supporters warn that the districts could face financial shortfalls if the increases aren’t approved. They cite the well-publicized financial problems in Lancaster, DeSoto and Dallas school districts as cautionary tales.

UPDATE: Duncanville and Cedar Hill ISDs will have to make do with their current tax rate as voters gave a “thumbs down” to Oct. 7 tax proposals. The race was closest in Duncanville, with 41 percent of voters in favor. In Cedar Hill, only 26 percent of the voters favored the increase.

Duncanville’s higher number may have something to do with the return of BUSSES, the school district supporting PAC headed by local community activist Steve Martin. This is one of the few battles Martin, also a driving force in bringing beer and wine to Duncanville, has lost. Rallying opposition was another very familiar face: former Duncanville councilman and current state representative candidate Homer Fincannon.

Both packages would have taken the school districts’ property taxes to the maximum $1.17 per $100 valuation allowed by the state. They proved a hard sell during these extremely difficult economic times. Cedar Hill also had a more than $1 million debacle regarding its football stadium that may have made some voters squeamish.