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As we start the month of May, the City of Nederland continues to be busy with a number of projects and issues and is already starting the process for our next fiscal year.

Nederland property owners received their proposed property appraisals in April. The appraisal process is independent of the City of Nederland.

Taxpayers have 30 days from the date their notice of appraised value was mailed to file a protest with the Jefferson County Appraisal Review Board if they do not agree with the JCAD’s value. The protest deadline is indicated on the notice of appraised value.

If a protest is filed, taxpayers are encouraged to ask for the data JCAD used to appraise their property, which will include comparable sales information. Taxpayers can also submit any documents or pictures to JCAD to support their protest. Appraisers will review this information to determine if JCAD can resolve the protest informally.

If they are not able to, the taxpayer will need to appear for the formal hearing with the Jefferson County Appraisal Review Board.

The City of Nederland has the lowest municipal tax rate in Jefferson County, and last year was the fifth year in a row that the City Council reduced the tax rate. By state law, property appraisals and taxes have an inverse relationship.

When property appraisals increase, generally the calculated tax rate (the no-new revenue/effective tax rate and the voter-approval/rollback tax rate) will decrease. The City Council will vote on the tax rate in September.

POOL SEASON

The City has again contracted with the YMCA of Southeast Texas to operate the pool this summer. The first day of OPEN SWIM is scheduled for Saturday/June 1.

Pool party reservations are made online at ymcasetx.org. Open Swim hours have been revised. Currently, Open Swim is available on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 1 to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m.

The new Open Swim schedule is Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 7 p.m. and Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m.; the new schedule results in one extra Open Swim hour a week.

Private pool party rentals are available after Open Swim on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and on Sundays.

On Thursdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Community Nights will be held. The pool fees and pool rental fees were not adjusted.

MISCELLANEOUS

At the end of this month, the City will start the fiscal year 2024-2025 budget process. Any suggestions, concerns or interests in adding, amending or eliminating City services should be addressed to the City Manager’s Office (409-723-1503) as the budget preparation begins.

The week of May 5–11 is PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK. The purpose of this week is to honor the people who deliver public service to the public.

I hope the community understands the tremendous team of public servants at the City of Nederland. These outstanding men and women are dedicated to our community and to ensuring the highest level of services are provided. The Nederland City Council and I are incredibly proud and appreciative of the City’s team of employees.

The week of May 19–24 is PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. The purpose of this week is to recognize the importance of Public Works services and employees.

The City’s Public Works Department encompasses Streets & Drainage, Water Treatment, Wastewater Treatment, Solid Waste, Water & Sewer distribution, and Animal Control. The City has an exceptional Public Works team, and we thank them for their hard work.

On Tuesday/May 28 at 10 a.m. at Veterans Park, the City will host a Memorial Day program.

On Thursday/May 30, the 2023-24 school year will end. We want to congratulate the Class of 2024! Like your parents, family and friends, we are proud of the graduating young Bulldogs and know that this the first step in their journey.

And for those students that are not graduating, there are 77 calendar days from the last day of school to the first day of the new school year.

Finally, we want to recognize the Nederland Chamber of Commerce’s Mother of the Year – Denise BiJeaux, as well as all mothers on Mothers Day. There are no words to properly describe how special moms are to our families and lives.

The best thing we can all do is remind our mom how much we love her. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

If there are any questions regarding City operations, please contact the City Manager’s Office at 409-723-1503.

Chris Duque is city manager for Nederland. He can be reached at CDuque@ci.nederland.tx.us.