Cameron City Council Lately: A Higher Tax Rate, Water-System Debt, and a Fee Schedule Still on the Table

Cameron, TX - If you haven't been to a Cameron City Council meeting lately, here's what your city government has been up to. The council meets the first and third Mondays at 5:30 p.m. at the McLane Municipal Center, and its biggest decisions of the fall came on September 21, when it adopted a new budget and a notably higher property tax rate for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

The tax rate went up — mostly for debt

The council adopted a tax rate of $0.820316 per $100 of valuation, up from $0.631230 the year before. Under the ordinance's required disclosure, the new rate raises about $683,574 more in property tax revenue than last year — a 29.95 percent increase — and raises taxes for maintenance and operations on a $100,000 home by approximately $23.32.

Most of the increase is not day-to-day spending. The city's debt-service portion of the rate more than doubled, from $0.144328 to $0.310094, and the city's tax-supported debt payments jump from about $512,000 last year to about $1.1 million. Behind that is water: in March, the council authorized up to $10 million in certificates of obligation for water and wastewater system work, and in July it voted to apply for Texas Water Development Board financing assistance. The maintenance-and-operations portion of the rate is $0.510222.

The budget adopted the same night funds, among other things, a new part-time Animal Control employee, possible fire hydrant replacement (shifted from the library roof line), and water-fund adjustments. Public hearings were held on the budget and the tax rate before the votes — no residents spoke at either hearing.

Taxes under the new rate were due October 1 and become delinquent after January 31, 2027.

Fees and water rates: still pending

A comprehensive Master Fee Schedule ordinance — covering permits, cemetery and pool fees, airport hangars, court costs, and utility rates — got a first reading September 8 but was tabled September 21 and remains pending. The schedule as presented sets inside-city water service at a $51.45 minimum for the first 2,000 gallons. Mayor Nathan Fuchs told department heads in August to identify essential costs ahead of upcoming increases, and a potential water-rate increase has been discussed openly — but no separate water-rate ordinance has been adopted so far.

Other council business this fall

- Official newspaper: An ordinance declared Texas Local Media, doing business as The Cameron Herald, the city's official newspaper.

- Childcare tax break turned down: In June, an ordinance that would have exempted 75 percent of appraised value for qualifying childcare facilities failed — the approval motion died without a second, and the council voted to deny it, with Council Member Lekethia Sims opposing the denial. It was the only split vote of the season.

- Streets: In August, the council directed the Street Department budget toward eight employees plus a department head, with wage savings used to pay Milam County for machine and man hours, and leftover street funds earmarked for paving, sealing, and re-striping the interior downtown parking.

- Property actions: A substandard structure at 814 South Rusk Avenue was approved for demolition in September, and short-form subdivisions were approved at 502 East 13th Street, 701 East 10th Street, and 106 North Ross Avenue. A special use permit for a manufactured home at 1702 West 6th Street was approved in June.

- Appointments: Virgie Hardeman was appointed to the Planning & Zoning Commission in August, and Mayor Fuchs, Council Member Kyle Deal, and Nilesh Bhakta were re-appointed to the Cameron Economic Development Board in September. The city has also been advertising an unexpired-term vacancy on the Planning & Zoning Commission.

- Police: In June, Police Chief Carlton Scott presented Lifesaving Awards to Officers Organ and Ashworth, and the council authorized a grant application to the Office of the Governor for bullet-resistant glass.

Who's who at City Hall

Mayor Nathan Fuchs leads the council, with Kyle Deal as Mayor Pro-Tem. Council members are Jeremy Vaculin, Tommy Harris, Lekethia Sims, Barbara Dominguez, and Cliff Cryer. Ricky Tow is City Manager, and Amy Harris serves as City Secretary and Finance Officer.

By the council's standing schedule, the next regular meeting falls on Monday, November 2, at 5:30 p.m. — and the tabled fee schedule is the item to watch.