The Van Zandt County Commissioners met Sept. 1, adopting the Van Zandt County budget for Oct. 1, 2021- Sept. 30, 2022, and adopting the 2021 tax rate for Van Zandt County.

“This is one of the most important commissioners court meetings of the year, regarding tax rates and the budget. Next year will be my last year. Overall, the commissioners have worked very hard on the tax rate and budget. We start in April going through this stuff, including budget hearings in June, all leading up to this day (Sept. 1),” stated County Judge Don Kirkpatrick.

A tax rate of $0.52347174 per $100 valuation has been approved by the commissioners court for tax year 2021.

The no-new-revenue tax rate of $0.51348095 is the tax rate for the 2021 tax year that will raise the same amount of tax revenue for Van Zandt County from the same properties in both the 2020 and 2021 tax year. The 2021 tax rate is greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means that Van Zandt County is increasing property taxes for the 2021 tax year.

The voter approval tax rate is the highest rate that Van Zandt County may adopt without holding an election to seed voter approval of the rate. That tax rate is $0.52347301.

The 2020 adopted tax rate was $0.580428 per $100/valuation. The 2021 rate is $0.52347174. The tax rate is $0.05695626 less than the previous year which is a 9.8128% decrease.

The tax rate is not greater than the voter-approval tax rate. As a result, Van Zandt County was not required to hold an election at which voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate.

“When I came into office seven years ago, Van Zandt County was $8.7 million in debt. I will tell you VZC is in a good financial position. It has been tough and hard. Our total revenue is $23,319,386 and our expenses are $26, 477,602. We want to be transparent as we can and that is not a balanced budget. We have a healthy reserve fund. And I believe if you keep the tax rate up, you’re just stacking more in your reserve fund, and you are overtaxing your citizens. We want to keep our reserve fund healthy … the county will pay off that $8.7 million debt this year. It has been a priority of mine in the last seven years to get that debt paid off where Van Zandt County is debt-free.”

Citizen Ronnie Jones spoke before commissioners on the tax rate, budget and adoption of the tax rate. Jones comments on the tax rate stating “we still have an increase in taxes. I don’t think we are going to where we need to be going in terms of taxes. You (commissioners) set the tax rate at just under the rate that people would have a chance to say yes or no, and you have that prerogative as a politician.”

Other citizens spoke up during the public hearing, asking about property appraisals and other concerns.

The tax rate for 2021 and budget for 2022 were both approved unanimously by the commissioners.

The county’s budget for 2022 and tax rate for 2021 information can be found at www.vanzandtcounty.org in full detail.

Proclamations

President of the Captain James Burleson Chapter of the Daughters of the War of 1812, Carrie Woolverton, asked commissioners to approve Sept. 12, 2021, as War of 1812 Patriot John Meeks Day.

According to Woolverton, John Meeks served as a private in Captain Mason’s Company, calvary of the Tennessee Militia and as a private in Wear’s 1 st Regiment East Tennessee Volunteers during the War of 1812. John filed for record Abstract 563, Nacogdoches 3 rd , file 002711, Patent # 690, recorded on Feb. 15, 1858, in Volume 16, containing 320 acres in Van Zandt County. The date of his settlement was 1851.

He and his wife, Sarah (Sally) Blackwell had 10 children. His son, Horton Meeks, is the first documented burial in Carter Cemetery in April 1860. John died Sept. 12, 1863, age 71, and was laid to rest in Carter Cemetery in eastern Van Zandt County. His wife died in 1860 and is believed to be buried in the cemetery as well, but no stone has been found. The Chapter will honor John 158 years after his death, with a grave marking service held on Sept. 12, 2021.

The commissioners approved Woolverton’s request.

In a similar matter, Sherri Archer asked commissioners to proclaim Sept. 17-21, 2021, as Constitution Week. Archer is the regent for the Natchez River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Archer stated Constitution Week was initiated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Constitution Week begins on the date on the signing of the constitution, which was Sept. 17, 1787. “The DAR petitioned the United States Congress to declare of week of observance and Constitution Week was officially declared by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Aug. 2, 1956,” stated Archer. Sept. 17, 2021 marks the 234 th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States. The commissioners approved the proclamation.

The commissioners also approved a proclamation for Star Spangled Banner Day for Sept. 14, 2021.

In 1818, Congress proclaimed that one star for each new state would be added on the 4^th of July following the state’s admission to the union and there would be 13 stripes representing the 13 original colonies.