Harris County approves 8% property tax increase in new budget
The new tax rate is expected to fill in shortfalls caused by multiple natural disasters.
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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced yesterday that the Commisioners Court apprived an 8 percent increase in the county's property tax rate for the new fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1.
Harris County Commissioners Court voted to increase property taxes from 3.5 percent to 8 percent under next fiscal year's $2.67 billion budget.
The 8 percent tax hike will only apply to the 2024 tax year and it means the owner of a $400,000 home can expect to pay an additional $256 in property taxes this year. However, this amount could go up in November if voters approve a $60 per year hike for the Harris County Flood Control District to support the maintenance of flood mitigation infrastructure.
The hike is the first overall property tax rate increase in six years, with the Commissioners Court taking advantage of a state law that allows it to bypass voter approval of any increase over 3.5 percent due to experiencing multiple disasters this year.
"Setting the budget and tax rates is one of the most important responsibilities we have on Commissioners Court. No budget is perfect, but the budget we passed today will help us invest in critical priorities like mental health care, reducing our jail population, and getting violent criminals off the streets," said Judge Lina Hidalgo in a statement.
The budget vote fell along party lines. The four Democrats supported the budget and the new tax rate of 38 cents per $100 of assessed value, according to the Houston Chronicle. Lone Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey voted against both measures.
The new tax rate would go into effect Oct. 1 and is intended to fill budget shortfalls caused by the May 2 flooding event, the derecho, and Hurricane Beryl, which will require about $50 million in clean-up expenses. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to reimburse about 70 percent of those costs.
The Flood Control District would generate $113 million in revenue from
the new rate, enabling the county to operate on a 67-year rehabilitation
and replacement schedule, a significant improvement from the current
270-year rate.
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