A large audience filled Commissioners Court for their meeting on Monday, February 11.

Most were there to support the agenda item that would establish a freeze on property taxes in Karnes County of homestead owners disabled or aged 65 or over.

Bob Busselman presented the supporters’ point of view noting that "taxes would be frozen at this year’s level unless additions were made to the home or property."

Commissioner Darrel Blaschke asked, "How many acres of a homestead is considered the limit?"

"I believe a homestead of 20 acres is the maximum," Busselman said.

At the recent meeting of the Kenedy City Council, a large audience along with the city council members heard a report on the request for a freeze on taxes for disabled and 65 or over citizens with homesteads in Karnes County.

Bob Busselman, spokesperson for the group, presented the report and stated that the citizens would like to have the council’s answer to their request one way or another in time for them, if necessary, to get the required number of signatures and have the proposal included on the ballots in the November election. The Council voted to postpone the vote until they could review the numbers on the rolls who would fall into this category and how it would affect the city’s tax base. They said they could have a called meeting and have their votes available soon.

John Michael, of the Naismith Engineering group, updated the council members on the progress toward assessing and repairing the streets of Kenedy. He said that five tasks are of the utmost importance to plan and carry out a thorough and cost effective upgrade and maintenance of the streets. These five tasks are: to gather data, assess with asphalt institute guidelines, label all the streets either bad, good, best, consult for long-range planning, and pave after the initial repairs on a seven-year continuum.