There is hereby levied for the fiscal year on all taxable property, real, personal and mixed, situated within the limits of the city, and not exempt by the constitution of the state and valid state laws, a tax in an amount per each $100.00 assessed value of taxable property, and shall be apportioned and distributed as follows:
(1) 
For the purpose of defraying the current expenses of the municipal government of the city, a tax in an amount per each $100.00 assessed value of all taxable property.
(2) 
For the purpose of creating a sinking fund to pay the interest and principal on all outstanding bonds of the city, not otherwise provided for, a tax in an amount per each $100.00 assessed value of all taxable property within the city, which shall be applied to the payment of such interest and maturities of all outstanding bonds.
(1993 Code, sec. 37.15; 2006 Code, sec. 74-23)
(a) 
All ad valorem taxes shall become due and payable on October 1 of each year and all ad valorem taxes for the year shall become delinquent after January 31 of the following year. There shall be no discount for payment of taxes prior to January 31. A delinquent tax shall incur all penalty and interest authorized by law (V.T.C.A., Tax Code sec. 33.01), a penalty of six percent of the amount of the tax for the first calendar month it is delinquent plus one percent for each additional month or portion of a month the tax remains unpaid prior to July 1 of the year in which it becomes delinquent.
(b) 
However, a tax delinquent on July 1 incurs a total penalty of 12 percent of the amount of the delinquent tax without regard to the number of months the tax has been delinquent. A delinquent tax shall also accrue interest at a rate of 15 percent for each month or portion of a month the tax remains unpaid. Taxes that remain delinquent on July 1 of the following year incur an additional penalty of 15 percent of the amount of taxes, penalty and interest due; such additional penalty is to defray costs of collection due to contract with the city attorney pursuant to V.T.C.A., Tax Code sec. 6.30.
(1993 Code, sec. 37.16; 2006 Code, sec. 74-24)
Taxes are payable in the city, at the office of the tax collector. The city shall have available all rights and remedies provided by law for the enforcement of the collection of taxes levied under this article.
(1993 Code, sec. 37.17; 2006 Code, sec. 74-25)
(a) 
Taxes that remain delinquent on July 1 of the year in which they become delinquent shall incur an additional penalty to [defray] costs of collection so long as the city has contracted with an attorney, pursuant to V.T.C.A., Tax Code sec. 6.30, for collection of the taxes against which the additional penalty is imposed.
(b) 
The amount of the additional penalty imposed herein shall be an amount of money equal to 15 percent of the amount of taxes, penalty and interest due.
(c) 
A tax lien shall attach to the property on which the tax is imposed to secure payment of the penalty.
(d) 
If a penalty is imposed pursuant to this section, the city may not recover, in addition thereto, attorney’s fees in a suit to collect delinquent taxes subject to the penalty.
(e) 
The tax collector of the city shall deliver, as required by V.T.C.A., Tax Code, a notice of the delinquency and of the penalty to the property owner at least 30 days and not more than 50 days before July 1 of the year in which the taxes become delinquent.
(f) 
Should the city contract with another taxing unit for the collection of taxes, then the provisions of this section shall survive and be applicable to the delinquent taxes collected by the taxing unit collecting taxes for the city; and, in such event, the notice required by subsection (e) of this section shall be delivered by the tax collector for the contracting taxing unit.
(1993 Code, sec. 37.01; 2006 Code, sec. 74-21; Ordinance 274 adopted 9/3/87)
(a) 
For the purpose of this section, “disabled” shall mean under a disability for purposes of payment of disability insurance benefits under Federal Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, consistent with V.T.C.A., Tax Code sec. 11.13(m), as amended.
(b) 
Pursuant to the provisions of V.T.C.A., Tax Code sec. 11.13, as amended, there is hereby created a residential homestead exemption for persons 65 years of age or older and for disabled persons, such exemption from taxation being $50,000.00 [of the] appraised value of the resident’s homestead.
(c) 
The resident’s homestead exemptions provided by subsection (b) of this section may not be aggregated; an individual who is eligible for both exemptions is entitled to take only one of the exemptions so authorized.
(d) 
Joint or community owners may not each receive the same exemption provided by or pursuant to this section for the same resident’s homestead in the same year.
(e) 
A person claiming eligibility for a disabled person or person 65 years of age or older may submit an affidavit to the county tax appraisal district in order to obtain the exemption.
(1993 Code, sec. 37.02; 2006 Code, sec. 74-22; Ordinance 06-06-696, sec. 3, adopted 6/19/06)