Everyone who owns taxable property in Calhoun County will soon be receiving a “Notice of Appraised Value” from the Calhoun County Appraisal District. The appraisal district will begin mailing residential and commercial notices on April 15th, 2019. General business personal property, mineral, industrial, utility & industrial personal property notices will follow at a later date; sometime between April 25th and May 18th. Local taxing units will use the appraisal district’s value to set your 2019 property taxes. Each taxing unit develops a budget and uses the overall net taxable value to establish a tax rate. The tax rate is then applied to your net taxable value to determine the amount of taxes that you owe each year.

State law requires county appraisal districts to notify property owners about changes in their property’s value. The notice also contains important information about the location, ownership and exemptions that have been applied to the property. It must include an estimate of 2019 taxes by local taxing units. The estimate included on the notice of value is based upon the 2018 tax rates. The 2019 tax rates, which may be higher or lower, will be adopted later this year by each taxing unit. The appraisal district does not set the tax rate for any taxing jurisdiction.

Property owners who disagree with the appraised value of their property, the exemptions or any other action by the appraisal district have the right to appeal to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB is an independent panel of citizens responsible for hearing and settling property owner protests. The “Notice of Appraised Value” will include instructions on how and when to file a protest, a protest form and the Comptroller’s Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures. The deadline for filing a protest with the ARB is May 15th or 30 days after the appraisal district mailed you a “Notice of Appraised Value”, whichever is later.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar’s publication, Property Taxpayer Remedies, explains in detail how to protest your property appraisal, what issues the ARB can consider and what to expect during a protest hearing. The publication also discusses the option of taking your case to court or entering into binding arbitration if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your ARB hearing. There are also videos available on the District’s (www.calhouncad.org) and the Comptroller’s website explaining how to protest a property.

Property Tax Protest and Appeal Procedures is available from the Calhoun County Appraisal District at 426 W Main, Port Lavaca, TX 77979, Phone 361-552-4560. The publication is also available on the Comptroller’s website at www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/ or by calling the Comptroller’s Property Tax Assistance Division at (800) 252-9121, ext. 2.

With the potential for severe weather approaching, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reminds Texans they can purchase certain items tax-free during the state’s sales tax holiday for emergency preparation supplies, which occurs April 27-29.

“While we can’t know in advance when the next flood, tornado or hurricane may strike, we can make sure our families, homes and businesses have the supplies they need to face these and other emergencies,” Hegar said. “This tax holiday can help Texans save money while stocking up for emergency situations. Don’t wait for disaster to strike. Take the time now to get prepared.”

There’s no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase. These include:
•    household batteries, fuel containers and flashlights priced at less than $75;
•    hurricane shutters and emergency ladders priced at less than $300; and
•    portable generators priced at less than $3,000.

Delivery, shipping, handling and transportation charges are considered part of the sales price when determining taxability. If the emergency preparation supply being purchased is taxable, the delivery charge is also taxable. Shoppers should consider the total price for an item when determining whether an emergency preparation supply can be purchased tax-free during the holiday.

Citizens of the Week at Port O’Connor School

Week ending March 22: PreK- Cora Haschke; K- Dalton Garner; 1st- Fidel Tovar; 2nd- Marcos Blanco; 3rd- Christian Gutierrez; 4th- Gracie O’Shields; 5th- Kamyla Guzman

Week ending March 29: PreK- Saydi Ramirez; K- Joseph Null; 1st- Ana Brown; 2nd- Avery Gosnell; 3rd- Kailey Guzman; 4th- Mato Sanchez; 5th- Kitty Mezzell

Week ending April 5: PreK- Luna Lopez; K- Trooper Sanchez; 1st- Reid Thomas; 2nd- Haiden Dean; 3rd- Leon Hill; 4th- Kyndra Carriles; 5th- Destiny Tovar

Seadrift School’s Pirates of the Week

Week ending March 22: PreK- Maisyn Hernandez; K- Makezie Whiddon & Kambrie Watkins; 1st- Symone Smith & Jennifer Barcenas; 2nd- Janice Pendergrass; 3rd- Mallory Vannoy & Lexi Mendoza; 4th- Kendell Cady & Ashton Sternadel; 5th- Dylan Wright & Kylee Gray

Week ending April 5: Prek- Aaron Daley; K- Ella Petrisky & Gianna Adame; 1st- Sophia Rodriguez & Jennifer Barcenas; 2nd- Phoenix Gordillo; 3rd- Ava Salazar & J.C. Banda; 4th- Gavin Reyes & Marisol Banda; 5th- Jared Arfele & Yuliana Hernandez; Gym- Landon Gilstrap

Sat., April 20    Easter Egg Hunt 2:00 pm    Port O’Connor First Baptist Church
Sun., April 21    Easter Sunrise Service 7:00 am    King Fisher Beach, Port O’Connor
Mon., April 22    Boggy Big Sit 6:30 am – 6:30 pm
Tues., April 23    Assistance for Hurricane Harvey damage 2:00 pm    Port O’Connor Library
Sat., April 27    Crawfish Fest & Cook-Off 10:00-7:00    King Fisher Beach, Port O’Connor
April 27-29    Sales Tax Holiday For Emergency Supplies
Sat., May 4    Cinco de Mayo – Children’s Activity 10:00 am    Port O’Connor Library
Tues., May 7    Seadrift Chamber of Commerce 6:00 pm    Seadrift First National Bank
Tues., May 7    Seadrift City Council 7:00 pm    Seadrift City Hall
Tues., May 7    Bunco 7:00 pm    Port O’Connor Community Center
Sun., May 12    Mothers’ Day
Mon., May 13    Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce 6:30 pm    Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce
Tues., May 14    Hooked on Books Club 2:00 pm    Port O’Connor Library

Joe Krenek marks the baseball field.

March 7, 2019: Today “Marks” a new beginning for our POC Little Leaguers and our hometown baseball family as we chalk the field! This will be our first “official” season to play with new backstop, dugouts and bases.

For those who don’t know this kind and generous man, this is Joe Krenek. With a lifetime of ballfield experience, from building them to coaching on them, he not only donated half the cost of backstop construction and labor, but graciously volunteered today to come help measure and mark our field. I’d say he was our biggest fan.

Our field, located behind POC School is 100% community funded. Many might remember me raising funds for it a year or so ago, and it’s all coming together thanks to you! Special thank you to all who donated to make this happen for our POC kids. I will be sure to post lots of pictures of their happy faces all season.

We are still in need of actual dirt for the field! It’s got a lot of pot holes and hasn’t been maintained for decades. As a matter of fact we literally stumbled across the old 3rd base while trying to fix a hole today. Maybe someone out there could tell us how far back it was installed? Anyway it needs leveling and a real pitchers mound and parents and fans have expressed a need for bleachers. If you or anyone who knows the valuable life lessons baseball can teach a child, and would like to donate, please message me, Sarah Washburn, on Facebook.

We started this project together folks, and we can finish together too!

Play ball y’all!!!