Central Health to vote on proposed property tax increase for Travis County

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas - Your property taxes could go up again next year. 

Central Health, which is the hospital district for Travis County, makes up one portion of your property tax bill. They're proposing an increase to provide mental health services to those in crisis. 

Why don't voters get a say in this increase proposal?

The backstory:

Voters don't get a say in this increase. That's because state law says an increase under a certain threshold doesn't require an election. 

Central Health will decide whether to raise their property tax rate by 6–8 percent or go with a "no-new-revenue" rate. 

The 6–8 percent increase would raise the average homeowner's annual Central Health portion of their tax bill by $36-$44. 

What they're saying:

Central Health says this is to help those in mental health crisis. 

"Our goal is to close those care gaps and build a system without edges where people can enter through any door and get connected to the care they need," Dr. Patrick Lee, president and CEO of Central Health said during the Sept. 2 meeting. 

Why does Central Health want to raise property taxes?

Big picture view:

Raising property taxes would bring in $22.1 million. Central Health also has $18.5 million from a TxDOT eminent domain settlement. 

The proposed budget includes two new mental health investments for consideration. The first would be operational funding for in-patient behavioral health services that don't currently exist. The second is a $7.3 million mental health reserve to help fund future operations of a mental health crisis center. 

The proposed budget says Central Health would operate a total of 22 in-patient psychiatric beds and the mental health crisis center would have 60 beds. 

In the Sept. 2 meeting, Central Health leaders said they heard both concerns about affordability and need. 

"Both of the revised 6 percent scenarios you've seen today provide Central Health's contribution to those critical mental health investments while remaining mindful of the financial pressures facing taxpayers," Lee said.

The other side:

Shane Saum, the mayor of Lago Vista, expressed his concerns at the meeting. 

"We don't have any tangible direct services supplied in the city of Lago Vista. Most citizens that I talk to are not even aware they're part of the Central Health taxing district and what those taxes are going towards," he said. 

Matt Mackowiak with Save Austin Now says while he supports helping those in need, it's not the time to raise taxes until an external audit is done.

"Austin residents are getting taxed to death, and it's not any one entity that's killing us here. But when you add them all up, and everyone takes their piece, and everyone raises as much as they can every year, year after year, these local jurisdictions, whether it's Central Health, whether it is a school district, or the City of Austin, or this county, they're making affordability worse," he said.

What's next:

The Central Health Board will vote on the budget on Sept. 9. 

The Travis County Commissioners Court have the final say and will vote on Sept. 15.