HOUSTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sylveste Turner, mayor of Houston, the U.S. Texas state, will seek city council's approval of an 8.9 percent hike in the city's property tax rate to help aid Hurricane Harvey recovery, according to local media reports on Monday.
Houston Chronical reported Turner's proposal would increase the current property tax rate from 58.64 cents per 100 U.S. dollars of appraised value to 63.87 cents.
Currently, a home with 225,000 dollars valuation pays 1,321 dollars in taxes. Under the proposed increase, that same home would pay 1,439 dollars or a difference of about 118 dollars - that equals less than 10 dollars per month increase.
The mayor's office says this would be a one-time rate hike that expires after 12 months and cannot be renewed. It would raise about 110 million dollars to be used to repair damaged city property and facilities.
The council would consider the increase on Oct. 18 after three public hearings.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sept. 8 that a relief package of 15.3 billion U.S. dollars will help reinforce the ongoing recovery in Texas from Hurricane Harvey.
It's the first installment of a federal aid package that could rival or exceed the 100 billion-plus dollars provided after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Future installments are likely to be more difficult to be approved by the Congress.
Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, displacing more than 1 million and damaged some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretches for more than 480 km. The Houston area was hit by severe flooding, after receiving about 1.4 meters of rain.
