Mayor's Message - April 2023

Hello from Town Hall,

May 6, 2023 Mayor & Town Council General Election

Double Oak registered voters will elect a mayor and two council members in the upcoming May 2023 General Election. 
Candidates for Double Oak Mayor are Patrick Johnson and Jean Hillyer. Voters will elect one of these candidates for a two-year term.
Candidates for Double Oak Town Council are Mike Gwartney, Ginger Brittain, Pat Wellen and Lisa Miller. Voters will elect two of these candidates for a two-year term.
Depending on where you live in town, Denton ISD and Lewisville ISD both serve our town and are holding their school board elections. Residents will cast votes in those respective elections, as well.
Double Oak Town Hall will be an early voting and election day polling site. 
More information can be found on the town website and at https://www.votedenton.gov/ 

Double Oak Candidate Forum

The Double Oak candidate forum, sponsored by The Cross Timbers Gazette and moderated by Max Miller and Bob Weir will be held on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at town hall. Residents are welcome to attend the forum in-person. The town will broadcast the candidate forum on the Town of Double Oak’s YouTube page and post the recording on the town website. Town Hall will open at 6:00 p.m. the night of the candidate forum for a meet & greet with the candidates.

Town's 50th Anniversary Logo Contest

The town's 50th Anniversary is coming up in 2024 and as part of the celebration the Anniversary Planning Committee is kicking off a logo design contest. The Double Oak 50th Anniversary logo design competition is meant to be a fun and community minded activity open to all ages. We want to see the creativity of our citizens and how you would show what makes Double Oak a great place to live. To learn more about the Town’s 50th Anniversary please visit the Town website www.doubleoak.texas.gov.  To learn more about the contest rules and submit your logo design click on the links below. 

50th Anniversary Committee Information & Contest Rules
50th Anniversary Logo Contest Submittal Form   

Double Oak Women’s Club Events 

Double Oak Women’s Club - Pancake Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt

The event will be held at the Double Oak Fire Station on Saturday, April 1st from 9:00-11:00. The egg hunt will begin promptly at 10:30.

Please join us for this annual event, enjoy pancakes and sausage for breakfast. There will be a scavenger hunt, games & a photo area for all to enjoy while waiting for the egg hunt to begin. Pancake Breakfast: $6.00 adults and $3.00 children. Cash and check only.

Candy donations are being accepted at Town Hall or you may reach out to Billie Garrett via text at 214-300-1776 to coordinate a pick up.

DOWC Annual Casino Night Fundraiser 

Casino Night benefiting the Double Oak Women's Club high school scholarship is back in 2023. Mark your calendars for April 15, 2023 at 7pm at the Double Oak Volunteer Fire Department Fire Station. Tickets are $35 per person and if you would like to sponsor a table - it's $150 (very limited number available) be sure to reach out to Jane@sunnydarden.com for information.

Sales Tax, Property Tax and Exemptions

In 2016, Double Oak voters approved a sales tax election. Like other municipalities, Double Oak’s sales tax rate is 8.25 percent. The town keeps 2 percent sales tax revenue and the remaining 6.25 percent goes to the state. As sales tax revenue has increased, the town has been able to lower the town’s property tax rate. Double Oak’s property tax rate is $0.198067/$100 which is one of the overall lowest in Denton County.

Property tax in Texas is locally assessed and locally administered. Texas does not have a state property tax. Property tax brings in the most revenue to Double Oak and helps fund public safety departments, streets and drainage projects and town operations.

All real property and tangible personal property located in the state is taxable unless an exemption is required or permitted by the Texas Constitution. Texas provides for a variety of exemptions from property tax for property and property owners that qualify for exemptions.

Local taxing entities offer a variety of partial or total exemptions from property appraised values used to determine local property taxes. The state mandates that taxing entities provide certain mandatory exemptions and gives them the option to decide locally on whether to offer other exemptions. 

Besides offering one of the lowest municipal property tax rates, the town also offers property tax homestead exemptions. Current local exemptions are 65+ years old and disabled person exemptions at an exemption amount of $50,000 each. In 2022, the town approved a property tax ceiling exemption. 

The Texas Legislature is in session and are discussing more ways to provide property tax relief for Texans. They are talking about increasing the school districts homestead exemption and other property tax reductions to lower Texans tax bills.

Another local property tax exemption the town can offer its citizens is known as a local Residence Homestead Exemption. At the town council meeting on April 3, 2023, there will be an agenda item to discuss a Local Double Oak Homestead Exemption. An example would be to adopt a local town exemption that reduces the taxable value by 1%; or $5,000 minimum. Calculated draft projections based on assumptions show the town would see an estimated property tax revenue loss of less than $15,000. 

The town’s most recent fiscal year audit reflected a strong balance sheet and another sizable revenue surplus. 

If a local homestead exemption is adopted by town council in April, it would go into effect for residents next property tax bills. This local homestead exemption would be in addition to other homestead exemptions property owners are eligible for and already have on file.

This local homestead exemption would be available to every Double Oak residential property owner who can claim a Homestead exemption. Current records reflect around 1234 total properties in the town. An estimated 1200 properties are residential properties. Around 921 residential properties currently claim a homestead exemption.

Check the town website for more information on property taxes and homestead exemptions. 

At the April 3, 2023 council meeting, Denton Central Appraisal District and Denton County Tax Office officials have been invited to come and present an overview of what their organizations do related to property taxes and other services.

Happy Easter from the Town of Double Oak