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August 24, 2026
Volume 61 l Number 145
TUESDAY 100/75
WEDNESDAY 100/76
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The Voice of Seguin
WEEKEND EDITION
TODAY
Guadalupe County works through one of its toughest budget years Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
Seguin ISD board calls for voter-approved tax ratification election Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
(Seguin) -- The Seguin ISD is asking voters to weigh in on a proposed tax-rate change that would keep the district’s overall tax rate flat while allowing the district to maximize additional state funding.
The school board unanimously approved calling for a Voter Approved Tax Ratification Election, or VATRE, during a recent meeting. Election, pg. 2
(Seguin) -- Guadalupe County is working its way through what County Judge Kyle Kutscher describes as “an unprecedented budget year,” one marked by a shrinking tax base, changes in state exemptions, rising costs and continued growth across the county. Kutscher says the county started the budget process in May facing a significant loss in taxable value. “Well, this year’s budget has been a challenge, and it’s a challenge every year, but with appraisal reductions and a few big changes at the state, the county did lose a considerable amount of appraised value,” said Kutscher. “With a few big changes at the state, the county did lose a considerable amount of appraised value. There was about $1.45 or $1.46 billion dollars of value that was lost from a freeze/ refreeze recalculation of certain exemptions. There was also new
personal property or business exemptions that were given through the state that individuals voted on that reduced the appraisals in the county by about 400 million total. And then when you add back in the new property and all the development and construction that all of us see as we’re driving around it right over $860 million. The result of all of those things has the Guadalupe County total appraisal going down by almost $1.1 billion.” According to the proposed budget, the county’s total taxable value dropped from about $21.98 billion in 2025 to approximately $20.90 billion in 2026. That decline came even as the county continued to add new development and with about $864.2 million in new property added to the tax rolls this year. For the county, Kutscher says the lower tax base translates directly into less money available to operate. Budget, pg. 3