Perhaps some
don't understand why they pay county taxes even if they
live within the city limits of New Braunfels. With the
influx of new people moving into the incorporated areas
of our county, and as a refresher update for long time
residents, the following is a partial list of the
services city residents receive from county government
via their county taxes.
When a flood or other disaster strikes, city residents
benefit from the county’s emergency management system,
which funds the Emergency Operations Center in New
Braunfels, the mobile command center, half of the
advance telephone emergency notification system and the
sheriff’s deputies who help local police in emergencies.
The free hazardous waste drop off conducted each spring
at Fire Station 2 on Loop 337 is paid for by the county,
which also supports cardboard recycling and other
aspects of the city’s recycling program at its facility
west of New Braunfels, which is open to all county
residents, including those who live within the city
limits.
The Department of Public Safety troopers who work in
New Braunfels use equipment paid for by the county under
agreements with the state. The county also funds the
office staff and office supplies for the New Braunfels
highway patrol office.
The law-abiding public doesn’t always consider the
justice system as “services,” but they are, and they are
not cheap.
The New Braunfels Police Department is a fine police
force, but the sheriff’s office provides services the
city does not, such as a negotiation team and a SWAT
team. The county provides most of the manpower for the
narcotics task force that does most of its work within
the city limits.
The county jail houses the city’s prisoners — a
privilege other counties who use space in our jail pay
$50 per inmate per day to take advantage of.
When they’ve completed their sentences, those same
prisoners use juvenile or adult probation — again, paid
for by the county.
The county foots the bill for the district, county and
justice of the peace courts, including family court and
child support collections. The district attorney’s
office prosecutes the city’s criminals and provides city
residents with health and safety services through its
environmental enforcement office.
The county pays for and maintains a public law library
at the courthouse.
Also at the courthouse, the county archives and stores
important documents such as marriage licenses, deeds and
plats.
The county’s public health office provides
immunizations, preventive care and disease management
for city residents.
The county provides health care for the indigent — most
of whom are city residents.
Veterans regularly laud the Veterans assistance office
located in the Comal County Courthouse. It is used by
veterans who live in the city.
Anyone who has had a child go through a 4-H program or
who has been involved in Master Gardeners or similar
programs knows the value of the county extension office.
New Braunfels children benefit from the Child Safety
Fund, which, among other things, pays for school
crossing guards.
City residents have use of county parks — including
parks the county has given to cities such as Solms Park
in New Braunfels.
The county provides satellite offices for convenience
and traffic control and is working to provide added
downtown parking improvements.
The county is preparing to add to its
multi-million-dollar network of flood control dams
located in unincorporated areas that directly limit
flooding damage in downtown New Braunfels. The project
now in planning out in Krueger Canyon could cost $10
million or more and is the result of years of work by
county staff and elected officials. Four more such
structures are anticipated.
If you’d like to drive out and look at some of these
dams, remember that the roads you drive on outside the
city limits, once you get off the state highways, are
county roads paid for out of the county’s budget.
When you look at your tax bill, it is pretty easy to
get a case of “sticker shock.” But remember: your city
and county taxes are only a small part of the taxes you
pay. In Comal County, our taxes represent about 15
percent of your overall property tax bill, and we
believe you get a pretty good deal for your money. The
city’s taxes are a similar fraction of your tax bill.
The biggest part of it comes in your taxes to support
education.
