SHOULD WE JOIN TRAVIS COUNTY WD17?
Our Neighborhood is currently not part of the WCID17 District. Instead, we are considered an Out-of-District area and pay Out-of-District Fees (ODFs) instead of taxes.
Options for paying for these waterline replacements:
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If the River Ridge community remains separate from the District, ODFs will be used to fund the current and future projects.
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If the River Ridge community chooses to join the District, then a debt service tax rate would be used to repay bonds that would fund these repairs. Once these bonds are repaid, the debt service tax would go away. River Ridge residents would continue to pay the District’s Operations and Maintenance (O&M) tax rate for future repairs.
Everyone who is In-District pays a flat Operations and Maintenance tax rate of $.0560/$100 Net Assessed Value. With this O&M tax rate, you can apply your tax exemptions.
If we join the district, we would have a Debt Service Area tax rate to pay off the bond. The tax rate is estimated at $0.30 per $ 100 of Net Assessed Value. This is the maximum tax rate for the bond, and it will decrease over time as the bond is paid down. This tax goes away once the bond is paid off.
District O&M Rate + Debt Service Rate :
$0.0560/$100 AV + $0.30**/$100 AV
*Tax rates based on 2024 cost estimates.
**This is a worst-case scenario tax rate. The final tax rate applied will be based on the winning bid, and
will likely be less than this.
UNDERSTANDING THE ANNUAL TAXES
JOINING THE DISTRICT
Stop paying Out-of-District Fees (ODF).
Pay debt service tax rate and O&M tax rate to pay for the current and future water line repair/replacement.
The costs of the current improvement project and future repairs and replacements will be shared by all 330 RR area property owners.
Transfer financial responsibility for all future repairs and upkeep of RR waterlines to WCID17
Opportunity to elect River Ridge area residents to the WCID17 Board of Directors. Have a voice in the decisions that affect our neighborhood.
Assures adequate fire flow and that additional fire hydrants are available to RR by project completion.
Most neighbors will pay less in taxes than the OFD fees. Homeowners with a Net Appraised Value above $1,000,000 will pay more in taxes.
The tax rate will decrease over the years as the bond is paid off.
WCID17 will pay for the replacement of thetwo 6-inch water lines on Lakeland loop thatwere removed from the original project plan. These will be replaced after the completion of the current project.
STAYING OUT OF DISTRICT
Pay ODF of $300/mo for the length of the bond, then continue to pay $250-$300/mo ODF for future repairs/replacements.
Pay ODF in lieu of the tax rate.
The costs of the current improvement project and future repairs and replacements will fall only on those that are receiving water from WCID17, currently 234 properties.
Maintain financial responsibility for all waterline maintenance and replacement costs.
Not eligible to be on the WCID17 Board.
Delays in repairing water lines and addressing inadequate fire flow. Funded purely by ODF, this would likely take up to 18 years.
Most neighbors would pay significantly more in ODF fees than in taxes.
The $300/mo ODF will not decrease until the project bond is paid off and may not decrease thereafter.
RR area neighbors will pay for the replacement of the two 6-inch water lines through continued $250-$300/mo ODFs.