Taxable values increase across Milam County

The Milam County Commissioners are beginning work on final budget and tax rate plans and the Milam Appraisal District released taxable values last week.

Milam Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Dyann White said this week that taxable market values increased about 8.5 percent over last year. 

Every Milam County city saw an increase in market values, with Milano seeing the biggest jump at over 17 percent. Oil and gas values took a huge leap, by 94 percent this time. 

Rural land and residential markets all increased by at least 10 percent, though industrial values 

White noted that there was an increase in formal protests this year to 1,600, up from a yearly average of about 1,200. 

Prior to exemptions, the newly released certified tax rolls show Cameron up 6.4 percent over last year at nearly $335 million. With exemptions applied, Cameron still ends up positive in net taxable value at 10.3 percent. 

Milano and Buckholts both saw the biggest jumps, both up at least 12 percent over last year after exemptions. 

After a big jump last year, Thorndale is only up about 2 percent. Rockdale is up less than 1 percent after exemptions. 

Among school districts, Cameron is up almost 7 percent from last year after exemptions. Meanwhile, Rockdale is down by a tenth of a percent. The biggest jump occurred in Gause at 53 percent. Increases of over 20 percent also occurred in Milano, Lexington, and Holland.