McKinney’s Airport/Downtown Reality

City of McKinney 2019 Community Opinion Survey regarding commercial airport flights

The results of the 2019 National Citizen Survey for McKinney and city Budget Survey show that citizen opinion on the airport is conflicted. However, the new City Council goals for 2019 show the airport continues to stay as a top 5 priorities. This means more and more money will be put into the airport. 

In the annual Budget survey on the city of McKinney's website, the airport has been listed as the bottom priority of 10 priorities for at least the past two years. For the 2019 National Citizen Survey, 48% of paper survey respondents and 38% of online respondents strongly favor offering commercial airline services in McKinney (out of about 340 who actually responded). About 70% of those who support commercial service would be fine with low-budget carriers like Spirit or Frontier (see p. 27 of the opinion survey). Maybe those who support commercial airline services believe we would all benefit financially from such an arrangement. 

The complex revenue bubbles (TIRZ traps) the airport, downtown, and their surrounding areas are under mean that the general fund will not see the tangible results of any success in any of those areas past the low amounts the general fund already gets each year as long as the two TIRZ remain in place:

• No matter how successful the downtown TIRZ #1 area gets, that area will only give the general fund about $2.6M in sales, use, and property taxes a year maximum.
• No matter how business explodes, the airport TIRZ #2 area will only give the general fund about $1.2M in sales, use, and property taxes a year maximum.

TIRZ1 & TIRZ2 on the right and left of Hwy 5

The rest of the profits in the downtown and airport areas stay in their TIRZ funds to be used only on their respective TIRZ areas for very specific projects (not for things like fire, police, or other city services). The TIRZ funds are controlled by appointed City Council members and representatives of the county and ISD.

Let’s say that the McKinney airport starts commercial low-budget flight services and commercial business multiplies in the industrial zones located all around the airport. One would think that our dreams of a higher commercial tax base that could lower our residential property tax burden would be realized. One would think that the whole city would directly benefit from successful downtown and airport areas. Unfortunately, the rest of the city will only benefit indirectly, if anything. Maybe more people rent apartments or go to the grocery stores outside of the TIRZ areas. Maybe there is a prestige that makes people feel good.

For more, click here.

Two-Prong Approach to Reduce Our Local Tax Burden

1.    Lower your property appraisal amount- by lowing the appraised value of your property, you can reduce how much extra you pay in taxes regardless of the tax rates. You have until May 15th to file your protest.

·    Call Collin CAD and get them to send you the comps they used to assess your property’s market value. They are at 866.467.1110

·   Type in your address in the property search on Collin CAD’s website. Once there, click on the map and explore the other houses around you and their values. You will see some discrepancies. If your neighbor’s value is unavailable, that means they've already filed a protest.

·   You can protest for 2 reasons: an incorrect appraised market value and value is unequal compared with other properties. Do both. Collect comps around you, write down anything that would lower your value inside or outside your house. Be prepared with pictures and info to back you up.

·   There is no harm in trying. Even a small reduction in value of $5k lowers how much extra per $100 of your property’s appraised value taxing entities can get.

2.    Be vocal with your city, your school district, Collin College, and the county that you do not want      waste in the budget that will prevent meaningful tax rate reductions. Budget season has started. It  isn’t too early to start pounding that message.

·  Your apathy means we all will pay more in taxes.

·  We have to be vocal and visible lobbyists for lower tax rates.

·  Attend budget workshops, take surveys, attend meetings, and email your representatives. 

Email them all, but concentrating on the ISD and city is your best bet for more tax relief: 

MISD board members

FRISCO ISD board members

McKinney City Council 

Collin College

Collin County