(Port Lavaca TX) — New and updated property tax information has just been compiled by (NAME Appraisal District) and is available now to assist taxpayers. This property tax information is current and covers a wide range of topics, such as taxpayer remedies, exemptions and appraisals, and has information for select groups, such as disabled veterans and persons age 65 or older.
“Whether you are a homeowner, business owner, disabled veteran or taxpayer, it’s important you know your rights concerning the property tax laws” said Jesse Hubbell, Chief Appraiser of the Calhoun County Appraisal District.  “You can contact us about any property tax issues with full confidence that we will provide the most complete, accurate and up-to-date information available to assist you.”
This includes information about the following programs.
   •  Property Tax Exemptions for Disabled Veterans – The law provides partial exemptions for any property owned by disabled veterans or surviving spouses and surviving children of deceased disabled veterans. Another partial exemption is for homesteads donated to disabled veterans by charitable organizations at no cost or not more than 50 percent of the good faith estimate of the homestead’s market value to disabled veterans and their surviving spouses. The exemption amount is determined according to percentage of service-connected disability. The law also provides a 100 percent homestead exemption for 100 percent disabled veterans and their surviving spouses and surviving spouses of U.S. armed service members killed or fatally injured in the line of duty.
   •  Property Tax Exemptions – Non-profit organizations that meet statutory requirements may seek property tax exemptions and must apply to their local appraisal district by a specific date. Businesses that receive tax abatements granted by taxing units; ship inventory out of Texas that may be eligible for the freeport exemption; store certain goods in transit in warehouses that are moved within 175 days; construct, install or acquire pollution control property; own and operate energy storage systems; convert landfill-generated gas; or store offshore drilling equipment while not in use may also be eligible for statutory exemptions.
 •  Rendering Taxable Property – If a business owns tangible personal property that is used to produce income, the business must file a rendition with its local appraisal district by April 17 this year. Personal property includes inventory and equipment used by a business. Owners do not have to render exempt property such as church property or an agriculture producer’s equipment used for farming.
 •  Appraisal Notices – Normally, taxpayers receive a notice of appraised value from the appropriate local appraisal district. The city, county, school districts and other local taxing units use the appraisal district’s value to set property taxes for the coming year.
    •  Property Taxpayer Remedies – This Comptroller publication explains in detail how to protest a property appraisal, what issues the county appraisal review board (ARB) can consider and what to expect during a protest hearing. The publication also discusses the option to request limited binding arbitration to compel the ARB or chief appraiser to comply with a procedural requirement and the options of taking a taxpayer’s case to district court, the State Office of Administrative Hearings or binding arbitration if the taxpayer is dissatisfied with the outcome of the ARB hearing.
    •  Homestead Exemptions – A homestead is generally defined as the home and land used as the owner’s principal residence on Jan. 1 of the tax year. A person who acquires property after Jan. 1 may receive the residence homestead exemption for the applicable portion of that tax year immediately on qualification for the exemption if the preceding owner did not receive the same exemption for that tax year. A homestead exemption reduces the home’s appraised value and, as a result, lowers property taxes. Applications are submitted to the appropriate local appraisal district.
 •  Productivity Appraisal – Property owners who use land for timberland production, agricultural purposes or wildlife management can be granted property tax relief on their land. They may apply to their local appraisal district for an agricultural special appraisal which may result in a lower appraisal of the land based on production, versus market value.
    •  Residence Homestead Tax Deferral – Texas homeowners may postpone paying the currently delinquent property taxes due on the appreciating value of their homes by filing a tax deferral affidavit at their local appraisal district. This tax relief allows homeowners to pay the property taxes on 105 percent of the preceding year’s appraised value of their homestead, plus the taxes on any new improvements to the homestead. The deferral postpones the remaining taxes, with interest accruing at 8 percent per year but does not cancel them.
   •  Property Tax Deferral for Persons Age 65 or Older or Disabled or Disabled Veteran Homeowners – Texans who are age 65 or older or disabled, as defined by law, or who qualify for a disabled veteran exemption may postpone paying current and delinquent property taxes on their homes by signing a tax deferral affidavit. Once the affidavit is on file, taxes are deferred, but not cancelled, as long as the owner continues to own and live in the home. Interest continues to accrue at 5 percent per year on the unpaid taxes. You may obtain a deferral affidavit at the appraisal district.
•  Notice of Availability of Electronic Communication – In appraisal districts located in counties with a population of more than 200,000 or that have authorized electronic communications, and that have implemented a system that allows such communications, chief appraisers and Appraisal Review Boards may communicate electronically through email or other media with property owners or their designated  representatives. Written agreements are required for notices and other documents to be delivered electronically instead of mailing. At this time the Calhoun County Appraisal  District does not allow electronic communications.

•  Protesting Property Appraisal Values – Property owners who disagree with the appraisal district’s appraisal of their property for local taxes or for any other action that adversely affects them may protest their property value to the appraisal district’s ARB.
• Informal Meetings – Property owners can request an informal meeting with appraisal district staff to try and resolve their disputes prior to attending ARB hearings.

Calhoun County Appraisal District at 426 W. Main St. in Port Lavaca, 361-552-4560 or www.calhouncad.org. Information is also available on the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division’s website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.

“Cold stunning events happen at the most inopportune time,” warned Dr. Donna Shaver during the annual Cold Stunned Turtle Training webinar last October. She was right. The week before Christmas, Dr. Phillipe Tissot, TAMU-CC sent out a warning based on prediction models of the approaching cold front. Water temperatures were going to be below the turtle’s threshold of 46.4 degrees F for more than 24 hours just as the Christmas holiday would be starting.

Air temperatures dropped more than 30 degrees as the cold front arrived on Thurs, Dec. 22. While conditions prevented most search & rescue efforts on Friday, two Mid-Coast Sea Turtle Rescue volunteers braved the cold, searched around Port O’Connor, and successfully rescued 4 juvenile green sea turtles.

Christmas Eve weather was chilly but the drop in wind allowed six boats to go out. Unfortunately, two boats had mechanical issues and had to return without searching but the four remaining boats were successful in rescuing eight turtles. By Christmas day the weather had much improved and another four boats rescued 35 turtles. On Mon, Dec. 26 the greatest effort was made. Six boats searched the bays out of Port O’Connor and Charlie’s and brought in a whopping fifty-one turtles! Sadly, searchers were also starting to find dead turtles.

On Tues. TPWD Coastal Fisheries returned to the bay to do their surveys and, in the process, rescued eight turtles. A few turtles were reported through the 866TURTLE5 hotline (866-877-8535, option 3) including an exceptionally large turtle stranded on the ICWW, two at Charlie’s and a dead, predated turtle at Boggy.

Most of the rescued turtles were driven to Tivoli by MidCoast Sea Turtle Rescue volunteers where they met up with volunteers from Keep Aransas Beautiful (KAB) who then transported the turtles to the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) in Port Aransas. KAB has a specially outfitted turtle-hauling trailer that was funded by donations. The trailer is lined with shelves to hold turtle tubs and have doors to keep turtles safe during transport. TPWD also utilized a trailer and drove a load of turtles all the way to the ARK from POC, a more than 2-hour drive plus a ferry ride.

For the rest of the week, calls came through the hotline reporting a couple live turtles and quite a few dead. The documentation of dead turtles is important as it provides biologists with information about turtle populations and the impact of the conditions. On Thurs, Dec. 29, the ARK and the Texas State Aquarium (where most of the Mid-Coast turtles were housed due to space limitations at ARK) released nearly 300 turtles back into the water on North Padre Island.

To see a short video of our rescue efforts search YouTube “Mid-Coast Sea Turtle Rescue”.

With more help on the water, perhaps we could have avoided some of the deaths, but local efforts from our community was outstanding! If you would like to become involved in the Mid-Coast Sea Turtle Rescue, email MidCoastSeaTurtleRescue@gmail.com

Also, consider donating to the Mid-Coast Sea Turtle Rescue (SABayPartnership.org/support-us) or the Aransas Rehabilitation Keep (Friends of the Ark Sea Turtle P.O. Box 755, Port Aransas, TX 78373). Report live or dead turtles to 866TURTLE5 hotline (866-877-8535, option 3)

Many Thanks to All who Helped in the Cold Stunned
Sea Turtle Rescue Efforts especially
TPWD Coastal Fisheries
Damon Reeves, Austin Sury & Xandra Mapp
Mid-Coast Sea Turtle Volunteers
Donna Bailey, Bill Balboa, Allan Berger, Brigid Berger, Bill Carlberg, Gloria Carlberg, Dennis Charleton, Patti Chatterson, Aimee Christiansen, Mike Christiansen, Travis Christiansen, Tyler Christiansen, Nicole Collins, Denise Crane, Rusty Crane, Jerry Crosby, Charles Flaitz, Sue Glover, Alane Haardt, Otto Haardt, Carlyn Hammons, Cody Hammons, Scott Hartl, John Humbert, Brandon Kendrick, Jennifer Kendrick, Jeff Larson, Steve Marwitz, Bradley McDonnell, Jeanee Newberry, Steve Plant, Ashley Reese, Grant Reese, Jack Reese, Barson Schmidt, Greg Schmidt, Evan Smith, Austin Sury, Pam Terry, Reese Vaughn, April Wittnebert, Zach Wittnebert, Haven Young

The NEW YEAR of 2023 is starting out with another awesome fundraiser benefiting the Facelift Project. This was a chili cook-off arranged by Terry Wright and Jim Hooper and took place at Josie’s Mexican Restaurant on Saturday, January 14. In addition to the beans, chili and gumbo, members of the board of the Community Center, POC Community Service Club, members of Friends of the Library, and members of the POC Chamber contributed items for a bake sale and live auction. Since it took place after this article was written, details will be provided in next months paper. Raffle tickets for our fish bench are still being sold. The drawing will take place at our May fundraiser. Tickets are also available at First National Bank in POC.

The Mullet Tournament provided a very nice donation to the Project this past month. The Couch family (pictured above) puts on two fishing tournaments each year, one for children and one for adults. They donate proceeds to different organizations and charities. This year, they generously donated $930.00 to our community center project. THANK YOU to them for including us this time.

Phase I of the project will include renovations to the Pavilion area. The kitchen will be upgraded, the restrooms and storage areas will be improved and enlarged, the roof will be repaired and tables and chairs will be replaced, among other things. The estimated cost of this work is $150,000.00. So far, roughly ¼ of this amount has been collected. Non-profits must show a pattern of and results from their fundraising efforts in order to be considered for most grants. Since we have done so and are continuing to do so, we can now apply for those grants. Those of us on the board of the Community Center are very excited to be taking this next step forward with this very worthy endeavor.

The Community Center is a valued part of our wonderful town. Preserving it for future generations is the goal of this project. Attend a fundraiser, participate in an auction, buy at a bake sale, buy raffle tickets, or make a donation on PayPal at porto’connorcommunity center@gmail.com, to be part of the preservation effort. The Center is used by so many citizens, community groups, and visitors every year for so many varied reasons. There are fishing tournaments, funerals, weddings, Senior Citizen luncheons, club meetings, church events, Warriors Weekend, Bunco, childrens groups and many more. There is hardly a person or family in POC that has not attended an event at our center at one time or another. We are blessed to have such an asset in our small community. Many people worked many hours to raise the money to complete it in the first place. It was not done by the county, but by citizens like us. Now it’s our turn to continue to care for and show appreciation for , all the hard work that went into providing this gift to POC. BECOME PART OF THE PRESERVATION.

Greetings from the island everyone. I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends, and are having a great new year in 2023. We don’t have any flying cars yet, probably a very good thing. . but maybe in the not so quite distant future.

I swear I’m still having issues adjusting to this time change. My days are so much more on track when it gets dark during the actual pre-night hours, instead of darkness at MID-DAY it seems! I’m basically a get up at morning sunrise person, and head upstairs to go to bed shortly after sunset and darkness. But there have been many times, especially during cold days and nasty weather, that I’ll head upstairs and look at my phone and it’s showing like 6:10 PM! Seriously, Clint?? I don’t think the dang chickens are even roosted that early! So I’ll just lie there in bed and read or watch YouTube videos on interesting things until I fall asleep. Of course I’m then wide awake at 3:30 AM, before the dang rooster even starts crowing. Oh well, the time change back is soon approaching.

A few days before Christmas saw the island, and everyone else, endure what would be a brutal cold spell for our area. I knew from the forecast that it was on the way, so I went in a few days prior and filled up extra propane tanks for all my heating things. . stove, water heater and upstairs bedroom heater at night. I’m so glad I got extra propane and other supplies, including gasoline, because it got very cold out here, with unbelievable high winds, easily 35-45 mph sustained, for 16 hours. I don’t believe the temps were quite as cold as the Feb, 2021 freeze, but the winds were definitely much stronger, dropping the wind chill to near 0°, now that’s dang cold!

That Thursday afternoon, Dec. 22, I finished my preparations, including shutting off my water well and rain tank pumps, and draining all the PVC pipes the best I could. I used old t-shirts to wrap any exposed low-lying pipes that I couldn’t drain. I also filled three 5-gallon buckets with fresh water to use during the 3-4 days I knew I would be without running fresh water, and took a nice hot shower before shutting everything off. By Monday morning, Dec. 26, the temps were remaining above freezing on the island, so I was able to hook the water pumps back up and resume normal living. Thankfully, I did not have any broken pipes to deal with, but there were many places out here that did have broken pipes and damaged water heaters.

As with all winters on the island, especially when cold northers blow hard, like during the Christmas freeze norther, the tide level in the bay drops extremely low, and it certainly did this time. My boat was sitting on solid ground next to my pier for six days, absolutely not going anywhere. This is a common winter occurrence, and one of the many reasons why it is imperative to be prepared and stay stocked up on all provisions during the winter months. Propane, gasoline for generator use, canned food and miscellaneous over the counter medical stuff are all must-haves on hand out here. Island life is tough, but it’s much tougher if you are unprepared.

Well that’s it from the island for now. Everyone take care, stay warm and have a wonderful day.

The Port O’ Connor Chamber Board of Directors recently installed the new officers for the 2023 year. Darla Parker will serve as President, Dawn Ragusin as Vice-President, Sue Glover as Secretary and Brent Hart as Treasurer. Members include Mike Overton, Debbie Michalek, Terri McGuire, Belinda Bush, Steven Guevara, and Kimberly Lucas.

Our 2023 membership drive is underway, and we are planning our Member Appreciation Casino Night for February 24th at the Community Center. All Chamber members are invited to attend and enjoy the games and fellowship.

The Farmers Market will continue to be held the second Saturday of each month from 8:00-12:00 at the Kingfisher Beach Pavilion. The vendors will have homemade and homegrown products so don’t to forget to get out and support our neighbors. If you would like to participate you can find the vendor application and guidelines on the Chamber website under events, Farmers Market.

The Eleventh Annual Crawfish festival will be April 29th and we are currently accepting applications for sponsors, vendors, and cookers. We hope to make this year’s festival the best one yet so please get your information in early.

We welcome our new members for this month, Texas Style Cabinets and Xandra Ann Art, LLC. If you would like to join the chamber please visit our website at www.portoconnorchamber.com The chamber meets the second Monday of each month at 6:30 at the meeting room at the Library. Our meetings are open to the public and we encourage you to get involved.