Budget increases to fund safety-net health care
(Austin) – The Central Health Board of Managers voted to pass the Fiscal Year 2018 tax rate and budget Sept. 13.
Central Health conducted public hearings Aug. 30, and Sept. 6, on a proposal to increase the total tax revenue of the Travis County Healthcare District d/b/a Central Health by 4.5 percent.
The board approved a tax rate of 10.7385 cents per $100 of property value, a decrease from the Fiscal Year 2017 rate of 11.0541 cents. With the value of the average Travis County homestead increasing by more than $20,000 this year to $305,173, the average Central Health taxpayer will see an increase of $12.50 to their tax bills—equal to $1.04 per month.
Central Health is expected to maintain the lowest tax rate among Travis County taxing entities. Central Health’s tax rate is the lowest tax rate of any major urban Texas hospital district.
Central Health expects to receive $181.8 million in property tax revenue in FY 2018, of which 96 percent will be used for health care delivery for low-income and uninsured Travis County residents.
Line items in the Central Health budget include new and expanded service locations in East Travis County, the renovation of the CommUnityCare Rosewood-Zaragosa Health Center, and increased funding for women’s health care services.
Further details on Central Health’s budget and tax rate can be found at www.centralhealth.net/finance/.
The Central Health FY 2018 tax rate and budget will next go before the Travis County Commissioners Court on Sept. 19 for final approval.
