Conflict during Missouri City Council vote on tax rate

MISSOURI CITY, TX -- The vote to lower Missouri City's property tax rate could have been a by-the-book affair at City Council's Monday, Oct. 7 meeting. But the discussion of the ordinance soon became a contentious back-and-forth between councilmembers over zoning and development in the city's north end.

Over the course of three votes of 6 to 1 - each with Councilmember Chris Preston as the sole 'nay' vote - for the tax year 2014, City Council adopted:

A property tax rate of $0.565 per $100 valuation

A debt service rate of $0.177907 per $100 valuation

A rate of $0.387093 per $100 valuation for city maintenance and operations

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