- Home
- Government
- Transparency
Transparency
Open Government - Civil Accountability and Financial Transparency
Accountability and financial transparency are the foundation of a well-managed and open government. The Palestine City Council and the City of Palestine staff make government transparency a top priority.
City Charter and Ordinances
The City Charter, created by the citizens of Palestine for its municipal government, is the first chapter in the City of Palestine Code of Ordinances.
Mayor
The Mayor of Palestine is elected every two years and is the president of the city council. The current Mayor of Palestine is Justin Florence.
City Council
The Palestine City Council serves the residents of Palestine through six representative districts. Each elected council member serves for a two-year term. More information, including contact information for council members, can be found on the City Council page.
Council Meetings
The City Secretary records and maintains agendas and minutes from City Council meetings. An indexed list of agendas and minutes can be found at the city's Meetings Portal.
Department Listings
All the city departments can be accessed from the Departments section. Each Department page contains contact information for Department personnel.
Employee contact information can be found in the Staff Directory.
News Releases
Recent news releases are located on the News page.
Open Records
Send in an open records request (PDF) in accordance with the Texas Open Records Act.
Information on the Texas Public Information Act
Health Inspections
Twice a year, the City of Palestine inspects restaurants and food establishments on state food handling and health regulations. Health services also inspect pools meant for public use. To find information on food and pool inspections, visit the Health Inspector's page.
Financial Data
Financial data and online resources provide information on how city tax dollars are budgeted, spent, and invested. We endeavor to make both the information and the way it is presented as clear and informative as possible.
The City of Palestine's Finance Department publishes financial information for public inspection, including:
Tax Information
- Property Tax
- A tax rate of $0.692642 per $100 valuation is the property tax rate for the City of Palestine. Revenue from property taxes funds the general fund, operating expenses, and debt service.
- For more information on City of Palestine property taxes, click on the Finance Department's page. For more information about property taxes in Anderson County, visit the Anderson County Tax Assessor Collector's page, or the Anderson County Appraisal District's page. Also, the Texas Comptroller has information on its Truth in Taxation page.
- Sales Tax
- The Sales Tax Rate of 8.25% is made up of 6.25% State of Texas, 0.50% Anderson County and 1.50% City of Palestine. The 1.50% is made up of 1.125% to General Fund, 0.125% to Dedicated Street Repair and Maintenance, and 0.250% to Economic Development.
- Information on Sales Tax collections can be found on the State Comptroller's website.
- Hotel Occupancy Tax
- The Sales Tax Rate of 13% is made up of 6% State of Texas and 7% City of Palestine.
- Information on Hotel Occupancy Sales Tax as of Fiscal Year-end can be found at these links:
Purchasing
Information on purchasing requirements and projects can be found on the City's purchasing page.
Debt
A detailed debt payment summary can be found on our debt page.
Texas Transparency
Visit the State Comptroller's website for information on the State of Texas' Transparency Program.
Unclaimed Property
Information on unclaimed property in the City of Palestine can be found on the state of Texas' website, Texas Unclaimed Property.