PRESENTER: Presenter
Peter Snaddon, Chief Appraiser
Guadalupe Appraisal District (Political Subdivision, State of Texas)
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SUBJECT: Title
Discuss and consider a resolution proposing the acquisition and renovation of the historic Mary B. Erskine Building located at 216 East College Street, Seguin, Texas for a future headquarters for the Guadalupe Appraisal District.
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DEPARTMENT: N/A
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: N/A
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Guadalupe Appraisal District (GAD) Board of Directors (BOD) has adopted Resolution 2025-03 proposing the acquisition and renovation of the historic Mary B. Erskine Building located at 216 East College Street, Seguin, Texas, as the future headquarters of the Appraisal District.
The property is under contract for $1,895,000, and a recent independent fee appraisal has established its market value at $1,960,000 as of March 24, 2025. This 39,273-square-foot structure originally built in 1914 and situated on a 4-acre block-offers a strategic and cost-effective opportunity to secure a permanent facility capable of serving Guadalupe County’s rapidly growing taxpayer base.
As detailed in the attached Mary Erskine Building Assessment Report (dated May 6, 2025), the facility requires extensive renovation and modernization to be repurposed for government administration and public services. The total Probable Project Cost is estimated at $8,401,765, which includes design, construction, project management, contingency, and all associated costs necessary to bring the facility into full operational use.
ISSUE:
Pursuant to Section 6.051 of the Texas Property Tax Code, this real estate acquisition and renovation project must be approved by the governing bodies of three-fourths of the taxing units entitled to vote on the appointment of the appraisal district’s board of directors.
STRATEGIC PLAN REFERENCE:
☐Economic Mobility ☐Enhanced Connectivity ☐Community Identity
☐Organizational Excellence ☐Community Well-Being ☒N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
Each taxing unit’s share of the funding responsibility for this project will be proportionate to its
respective percentage of the Guadalupe Appraisal District’s annual approved budget. This ensures equity in participation aligned with each entity's operational support level.
City of New Braunfels’ current 2025 allocation percentage is 2.694%.
Projected annual funding responsibility, in addition to GAD’s general operating budget, is $23,846.03.
Funding responsibilities of taxing units has been estimated based on a loan term of 20-years with an interest rate of 6%.
If project is approved by the required 3/4ths of taxing units GAD serves, funding responsibility would not begin until GAD’s 1st Quarter Budget Allocation payment is issued for 2027 tax year (i.e., December 2026).
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Our current facility, as is, no longer has the required space to meet the near future needs of GAD’s increased workload on either side of district operations; Administrative and Appraisal. It became clear that our existing facility could no longer support the evolving operational needs of the district-or the growing expectations of the communities we serve.
This project is about restoring those essential functions and creating the space needed to meet the challenges of a growing county-both today and into the future.
Our remedy choice is a long-term strategy designed to meet the district’s needs-and yours-over the next 20 years. We are requesting your support for this project today.