The Council shall have the power, and is hereby authorized to
levy, assess and collect annual taxes not to exceed the maximum limits
set by the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas as they now
exist or as they may be amended, on each $100 assessed valuation of
all property having a situs within the corporate limits of the Town
and not exempt from taxation by the Constitution and laws of the State
of Texas.
Taxes shall be collected by the County Tax Assessor-Collector,
or, by that person and/or entity - qualified for the collection of
taxes under the then existing state law - designated by the Council
for such purpose.
All taxes in the Town shall be payable at the office of the
County Tax Assessor-Collector or any successor agency, or at such
location or locations as may be designated by the Council, and may
be paid at any time after the tax rolls for the year have been completed
and approved. Taxes for each year shall be paid before February 1
of the next year, and all such taxes not paid prior to that date shall
be deemed delinquent and shall be subject to penalty and interest
in accordance with this State. The Council may provide discounts for
the payment of taxes prior to January 1 in amounts not to exceed those
established by the State.
Failure to levy and assess taxes through omission in preparing
the appraisal rolls shall not relieve the person, firm or corporation
so omitted from obligation to pay such current or past due taxes as
shown to be payable by recheck of the rolls and receipts for the years
in question, omitting penalty and interest.
All taxable property located in the Town on January 1 of each
year shall stand charged from that date with a special lien in favor
of the Town for the taxes due. All persons purchasing any such property
on or after January 1 in any year shall take the property subject
to the liens provided above. In addition to the liens herein provided,
on January 1 of any year the owner of property subject to taxation
by the Town shall be personally liable for the taxes due for that
year.
The Town shall have the power to sue for and recover personal
judgment for taxes without foreclosure, or to foreclose its lien or
liens, or to recover both personal judgment and foreclosure. In any
such suit where it appears that the description of any property in
the Town appraisal rolls is insufficient to identify such property,
the Town shall have the right to plead a good description of the property
assessed, to prove the same, and to have a judgment foreclosing the
tax lien or for personal judgment against those owning such property
for taxes.
Except as herein provided, neither the Council nor any other
official of the Town shall extend the time for payment of taxes nor
remit, discount or compromise any tax due the Town, nor waive the
penalty and interest that may be due thereon to any persons, firms,
or corporations owing taxes to the Town for such year or years; provided,
however, that this provision shall not prevent the compromise of any
tax suit, or the correction of any errors in assessment, or preparation
of tax rolls, or preparation of a tax statement. Such compromise or
correction of errors shall first have the approval of the Council.