The Buzz in Burleson, September 18, 2024
Property taxes to increase, Elks and Spartans both fall
What’s the Buzz in Burleson this week?
Burleson weather: Still hot with the highs decreasing to low 90s and lows decreasing to low 70s over the weekend and into early next week.
Property taxes are going up. At last week’s Burleson City Council meeting, the council officially approved raising property taxes and fees and discussed a Johnson County bond that could increase property taxes even more.
The Elks and Spartans lost. In a rare week where both the Elks and Spartans got to play at Burleson ISD Stadium, both teams lost, with Burleson’s loss being its first in district play against Seguin and Centennial’s coming at the hands of Ennis.
News from other sources:
Hello readers! Thanks for reading this week’s edition of The Burleson Buzz Weekly Newsletter.
I’m trying something new this week, titling the newsletter “The Buzz in Burleson, September 18, 2024.” Normally I title the weekly newsletter something that rephrases one or more of the newsletter’s featured articles’ headlines, and I feel that may make readers think they’re reading the same content again, and I don’t want that.
How about that story from WFAA on Top A-Massage and Best Massage being forced to close? I always feel really guilty when I read stories like that about Burleson that I didn’t write or publish, but I have to remind myself I’m unfortunately not a full-time journalist yet and have to be okay reporting on what I’m able to outside my full-time job. In the spirit of keeping my readers as informed as possible, I’ll always share stories about our community regardless of who publishes them.
On the topic of stuff I did publish, I covered a game Friday for the first time in a while. Even though the home team lost, it was a lot of fun and felt good to be back in the press box. I’ll be in another press box Friday as I cover the Elks game against the Mansfield Summit Jaguars in Mansfield.
Thanks again for reading! Have a great rest of the week, Burleson!
—Cody
Onto the news.
Burleson increases property taxes
BURLESON — The Burleson City Council approved increasing property taxes and fees and discussed a bond that’d further increase taxes Monday at City Hall.
Burleson’s property-tax rate is increasing for the first time since fiscal-year 2015-2016 to $.6627 in the 2024-2025 budget from $.6325 in the 2023-2024 budget.
This tax increase will raise over $4.38 million more than the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Approximately $1.25 million will come from new properties.
Council member Alexa Boedeker asked deputy city manager Harlan Jefferson about wanting transparency on what the increased taxes pay for.
“Several city residents came to me and wanted to know why taxes are being raised and what they will be spent on,” Boedeker said at Monday’s meeting.
City manager Tommy Ludwig said there will be a large presentation outlining all potential changes and improvements to be bid on “at a future council meeting.”
The 2024-2025 budget includes a 2.25% growth of existing properties on their property tax revenue and a 3.69% increase on new properties.
The total assessed valuation of all properties within the City of Burleson for the 2023-2024 current fiscal year is around $6.7 billion, including certified and protested values but excluding any exemptions.
The average Burleson home value, which is what the city bases its budget on, in Johnson County increased to $299,889 in fiscal-year 2023-2024 from $282,966 in 2022-23. Average Burleson homes in Tarrant County are around $286,000.
In the 2024-2025 budget, Burleson is focusing on having a high performing city organization, a dynamic and preferred city, a beautiful, safe and vibrant community and making Burleson a great place to live, Jefferson stated as he presented the budget to the council.
Among the budget’s goals are making sure all the funds have a strong balance while being resilient and flexible to economic impacts, according to the presentation.
Burleson citizens’ top three concerns for the budget were streets and traffic control, police and fire, according to the results of 309 responses to the city’s survey posted on social media.
Council discusses county bond with Johnson County officials
Property taxes could continue to increase if Johnson County’s proposed bond passes in the November 5 election. Johnson County Commissioner Kenny Howell and other Johnson County officials discussed the bond with the council Monday.
Jackson scores lone touchdown for Elks in loss to Seguin
BURLESON – Nate Jackson scored the Burleson Elks varsity football team’s only touchdown in a 39-7 loss to the Seguin Cougars Thursday at Burleson ISD Stadium.
The junior running back Jackson’s touchdown came on a one-yard rush to get the Elks on the board and bring the score to 25-7 in the second quarter.
Jackson ran for 38 yards and the touchdown on 16 carries in the loss.
Burleson head coach Phillip Tanner said Jackson is a resilient workhorse.
Tanner also spoke highly of junior linebacker Donya Armstrong after the game.
“[Armstrong] had a motor,” Tanner said. “He knows the game, great football IQ, and he makes things happen on the back end.”
Armstrong led the Elks with seven tackles.
Spartans fall to Ennis despite Long’s 200-yard performance
BURLESON – Despite Damien Long going off for 201 receiving yards, the Centennial Spartans varsity football team lost 45-30 to the Ennis Lions Friday at Burleson ISD Stadium.
Long caught six passes–including a 68-yard touchdown–for 201 yards in the loss. He also put Centennial in position to score multiple times–catching a 43-yard pass to put Centennial at Ennis’s 1-yard line, a 29-yard pass to put them at Ennis’s 7 and a 32-yard pass to put them at Ennis’s 22.
Long’s 68-yard touchdown reception cut Ennis’s lead to 45-30 with 5:26 left in the fourth quarter. Ennis blocked Centennial’s extra-point attempt.
That was sophomore quarterback Jacob Torres’s only touchdown pass as he completed 17 of 38 passes for 312 yards and the touchdown and two interceptions in the loss. Torres also ran for 25 yards on six carries.
Following Long’s 43-yard reception from Torres that put Centennial on Ennis’s 1-yard line, junior running back Jaylon Walker scored on a one-yard rush to put the Spartans on the board and bring the score to 14-7 after junior kicker Jack Miller’s extra point in the second quarter.
Walker ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries in the loss.
Thanks for the continued updates!