The response of the Amarillo College Board of Regents to the proposed tax rate for fiscal year 2025–2026 was given in a brief meeting on Monday, Aug. 11.
The conference primed the way for a moderate increase that would affect homeowners throughout Potter County.
Based on the board, the voter approval tax rate for 2025 is 0.23294 per $100 of assessed value. This rate is the highest the board could implement with the approval of local voters. The no-new-revenue tax rate for 2025 is 0.20773 per $100 of assessed value. That rate is the amount that would raise the same amount of revenue as the prior year, without accounting for new property increases.
Board Chairman Jay Barrett explained that the recommended rate falls between those two figures, landing at 0.21994 per $100 of assessed value. The breakdown shows 0.16363 for maintenance and operations (M&O) and 0.05631 for interest and sinking (INS), which covers bond payments.
If approved, the rate represents a 5.87% increase over the current year. For the typical Potter County homeowner, the effect would be approximately $25 more per year, or about $2 per month for a $100,000 home.
Barrett stressed that as much as the raise is apparent, it is quite small given the possible higher rates. “It’s really nominal to what it could be,” he said. “We slashed $3 million in spending.” The motion to maintain the rate at or below 0.21994 passed without opposition from board members.
The board will conduct a public hearing on Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. in the CUB Palo Duro room at the Washington Street campus, where residents can comment before the rates are adopted.
That decision comes as numerous Texas school districts, colleges, and cities continue to make tweaks to their tax rates in the wake of increasing property valuations. For homeowners, a tiny percentage bump can add up quickly, particularly as appraisals rise throughout the area.
The final vote later this month will decide if Amarillo College formally adopts the proposed rate, cementing the anticipated revenue that supports operations and bond repayments.
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