The Austin Community College District (ACC) Board of Trustees held a public hearing Monday night with  Pflugerville ISD residents to hear comment about putting an ACC annexation item on the ballot this November.

More than 50 residents attended the public hearing, and 21 signed up to speak.

As the next step in the process, ACC trustees will vote in August on whether to call for a November election. Only registered voters within Pflugerville ISD will be eligible to vote on the proposal.

Should voters decide to become part of the ACC District, homeowners would pay a property tax currently set at $0.1008 per $100 valuation. The total tax rate includes a maintenance and operations tax rate of $0.09 (which cannot be increased without voter approval). The college offers a standard $5,000 homestead exemption, and senior citizens and homeowners with disabilities receive an additional $160,000 exemption, for a total exemption of $165,000.

In exchange for paying the property tax, ACC District residents have access to more comprehensive college programs and services as well as much lower tuition and fees. Currently, in-district students pay $85 per credit hour in tuition and fees, compared with $361 per credit hour for out-of-district students (effective 2018-19). Residents within the ACC District also are eligible to vote in elections of the ACC Board of Trustees.

While ACC encourages communities to explore the benefits and costs of joining the district, the college does not advocate for or against any such initiative. The law does allow the college to respond to questions and provide facts about annexation; however, the decision on whether to join the ACC District rests solely with the voters within those territories. For more information and to read frequently asked questions about the annexation process at ACC, visit austincc.edu/annexation.

Tags: annexation, Board of Trustees, Pflugerville, public hearing