During their Sept. 11 meeting, the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District (HPWD) Board of Directors approved a resolution setting the 2018 ad valorem tax rate at $0.0067 per $100 valuation for operation and maintenance of the district.

The adopted 2018 tax rate is 1.1 percent less than the effective tax rate. This slight reduction provides a similar amount of tax revenue as last year.

Persons with $100,000 in property value will pay $6.70 in annual taxes to HPWD under the approved rate, as compared to $6.90 in 2017. The HPWD 2019 fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

"The Board of Directors have lowered the tax rate each year since 2014. It is our priority to have balanced annual budgets. This allows us to reduce the tax rate for operation of the district, while at the same time, improve services for constituents in our 16-county service area," said Board President Lynn Tate of Amarillo.

In other business, the Board of Directors approved the Consent Agenda; approved applications for water well permits received in August 2018; amended the adopted 2018 budget for the end of fiscal year; conducted the annual review and adoption of the District's investment policy; and received an update on HPWD supported research from Dr. Dana Porter with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension at Lubbock.

No executive session was convened.