Yzaguirre
Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Antonio “Tony” Yzaguirre Jr. recently announced his reelection bid at the Oak Hill Event Center in San Benito.
San Benito was selected as the site to announce his reelection because it was the county’s center point, said Yzaguirre, who was joined by over 400 supporters, including citizens and elected officials from throughout the county.
At the beginning of his career in office, Yzaguirre understood the importance of convenience to improve customer service. His ultimate goal was the consolidation of property tax collections for all taxing jurisdictions so that taxpayers across the county could utilize one centralized assessor-collector to pay their property taxes and receive motor vehicle registration services.
“Cameron County collected for 13 taxing jurisdictions and only had three office locations countywide when I first took office in 1988. Our growth over the years created a greater need for service, and our partnerships have allowed us to expand services while remaining fiscally responsible,” said Yzaguirre. This goal became a reality in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through 100% tax collection consolidation and with the support of partnering taxing districts which include 17 cities and towns, ten school districts, 18 special districts, 42 street light districts and the Cameron County Commissioners’ Court, Yzaguirre was able to establish ten offices including several with drive-thru options. He will soon add a location in early 2024.
To provide more convenient options, Yzaguirre added seven additional office locations with drive-thru lanes by partnering with Lone Star National Bank (LSNB), the county’s depository bank. This partnership allows taxpayers to pay property taxes and renew vehicle registration at all LSNB bank locations at no additional cost to the county or the taxpayers.
Another program that Yzaguirre has implemented and continues to improve is the vehicle registration program at all H-E-B stores countywide. Additionally, the possibility of collecting property taxes at H-E-B locations is being evaluated, said Yzaguirre.
The Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office has gone to great lengths to save tax dollars and improve customer satisfaction by increasing online payments. Many of the services the office provides may be handled online.
Advances in office technology also increase security and help modernize e-commerce solutions for taxpayers and customers such as car dealers. Currently, 100% of franchise car dealers have transitioned to an electronic submission system, the webDEALER program.
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