In this One City, One Baytown series of articles, I’ve done my best to share about many of the important projects in process or coming to our great city. I wrote about the USS Texas battleship, San Jacinto Mall, hotel and convention center, Garth Road reconstruction, Animal Service and Adoption Shelter, utility customer service office, and the Public Safety Complex. If you missed any of these, please check out the City’s social media channels, our official City website, or the Baytown Sun website.
And while we’re on the subject, I welcome you to Like and Follow the City’s official Facebook (@BaytownCityHall) and Twitter (@CityOfBaytown) pages. We’re working hard to keep you informed, so let’s keep the respectful conversation going.
In this last article in the series, I wanted to share about the financial health of our city. You’ve heard about a lot of exciting projects coming to Baytown, and at one time or another, you may have thought to yourself, these are all great projects, but how is the City going to pay for it all? And, will I be stuck with the bill?
I’m pleased to report that the City of Baytown is as healthy as ever, and reaping the benefits of an equally healthy local economy. I’m optimistic, but don’t just take my word for it, consider the words of the Government Finance Officers Association, who recently recognized the City for excellence in Budget Setting and Financial Reporting. And consider the words of the Standard and Poor, who recently awarded the City with a powerful AA credit rating.
Others are taking notice of our thriving economy as well. People have been spending money in Baytown, and our sales tax revenue has risen by 21% in the last four years. Did you know that more than half of this is paid by non-residents?
I hear every day how worried residents are about paying their property tax bills, and your city council is committed to keeping these as low as possible. For four years in a row, the City has cut the property tax rate, which is now 4.5% lower than what it was when we started cutting. At the same time, consumer prices – or inflation – have risen by 10.6%. But we’re not done cutting. Look for further cuts again in the future.
I hope you’ve seen that the tremendous investment in the future of Baytown has come from many who believe in this great city. From visitors and residents to investors and industry partners, Baytown is thriving because of people like you who care about this city. If you’d like to continue sharing your vision for Baytown, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at mayor@baytown.org.