Harris County officials voted to raise property taxes, even while sparring over whether a budget deficit exists. view article

Harris County officials voted to raise property taxes, even while sparring over whether a budget deficit exists. view article

Council members tabled votes on the tax rate and budget after State Rep. Shelley Luther questioned the city’s compliance with a new state law.   Whitesboro’s elected city officials tabled consideration of a controversial property tax increase over concerns it might not be legal due to a new state law that limits tax rates if municipalities fail to comply with audit requirements.  Council members were prepared to vote Tuesday night on a tax rate that is 51 percent higher than last year’s rate and would cost average Whitesboro homeowners an extra $498 in city property taxes—a 61 percent increase.  A standing-room-only crowd of Whitesboro residents showed up to speak against the increase, which they said would have a devastating impact on home and business owners. view article

Arlington ISD officially lowered its tax rate by around a cent per $100 after a delay due to new property tax laws Sept. 4. The new tax rate of $1.0929 per $100 of property valuation, which was adopted with a unanimous vote, represents a consistent drop in the rate over the past few years. view article

A new report from Zonda Education shows high home prices in Round Rock are threatening future enrollment in that district. The study shows home sales within the district dropped by half over the past three years. High prices and interest rates make it tough for young families to buy homes there, and it's impacting the school district because the amount of state funding is determined by enrollment numbers. view article

The city’s proposed tax rate would increase average homeowners’ property tax bills by 61 percent.  For a second year in a row, elected officials in the small North Texas city of Whitesboro are proposing a big property tax increase, which could raise residents’ tax bills by more than 60 percent without a public vote.  On Tuesday night, Whitesboro City Council members will consider adopting a property tax rate for 2025 that would hike the average homeowner’s city taxes by $498—a 61 percent increase.  The proposed increase, which would also raise 61 percent more total tax revenue, is below the city’s calculated voter-approval rate. view article

Recent weeks have been full of budget workshops, public hearings and local governments setting their tax rates to fund their 2025-26 fiscal budgets. Those included Lubbock area school districts like Lubbock ISD, Frenship ISD, and Lubbock-Cooper ISD, where their tax rates help with maintenance and operations of public schools and with debt service. view article

The Copperas Cove ISD Board of Trustees has approved the district's budget for the upcoming school year and approved the tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. CCISD said residents will see a lower tax rate for the seventh year in a row. The Board reportedly approved the tax rate at a special meeting on Thursday, Aug. 28, for the fiscal year that began on Monday, Sept. 1. view article

Three commissioners voted to save taxpayers money. County employees complained because it could cut their raises.  Three Lubbock County commissioners have stopped a county property tax increase, but not everyone is happy about it.  During a meeting this week, the five-member Lubbock County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 to approve the no-new-revenue property tax rate for 2025, which will be used to budget the county’s spending for the upcoming year.   Some county employees fear that without a property tax increase, they may not receive raises.   view article

Houston's home ballpark is at the center of a lawsuit filed by Houston Astros LLC late last week, which challenges a pain all-too-familiar to residents of the Lone Star State: property taxes. The Astros aim to avoid paying any form of property taxes on Daikin Park, claiming Texas tax code exempts "large-scale sports venues" from taxation. Friday's lawsuit added that Harris County "has no authority beyond what is conferred by the Texas Constitution or statute." view article

A newly formed political action committee is pushing for voter approval of a tax measure aimed at boosting Rockwall ISD funding. The Vote Yes for Rockwall ISD PAC emerged shortly after the school board authorized a Voter-Approval Tax Rate Election on Aug. 18. Four days later, more than 150 residents gathered at a kickoff event hosted at the home of Dr. Mary Courtin. Parents, students, educators and business leaders attended, signaling early interest in the proposal. view article

It's likely to be operational by summer 2028.  With principals announcing an agreement on a final investment Monday, construction will soon begin on a 450-mile pipeline connecting critical natural gas sources from the Permian Basin in West Texas to the Katy area in the Gulf Coast region of the state.  view article

Celina ISD officials set the tax rate for the 2025-26 school year budget. The district’s board of trustees approved the district’s tax rate of $1.2089 per $100 of assessed value during an Aug. 18 board meeting. This rate is just under a 3% reduction in taxes for the CISD community, Chief of Business Resources Melissa Kelly said.  Last year’s rate, which was approved by voters last November in a tax rate election, was $1.2358 per $100 valuation. view article

ABILENE, Texas — Abilene ISD taxpayers will be seeing a decrease in their local school tax rate. However, based on how people vote during the November election on Proposition A, that will determine how much this decrease will be.  RELATED | Abilene ISD seeks voter approval for $10M funding boost in November election  AISD Board of Trustees voted last week to call a Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election also known as VATRE. view article

The Boyd ISD board of trustees is looking to keep its current tax rate the same for the 2025-26 fiscal year. During Monday’s school board meeting, trustees approved a proposed tax rate of $0.8942 per $100 valuation — the same amount approved for FY 2024-25 last August. Of the amount, $0.6692 will be used for maintenance and operation, while the remaining $0.225 will be earmarked for interest and sinking to pay bonded debt. view article

LHISD has lowered the tax rate 37 cents over six years. Prop A would add 6 pennies back to the tax rate.  Prop A adds funding for teacher salary increases, instructional programs, and extracurricular programs.  State and federal officials have cut education funding. At the same time, inflation has driven up LHISD operating costs such as utilities, fuel, and insurance.  LHISD has already cut $2 million in expenses. If Prop A does not pass, LHISD will have to make additional cuts, which may include up to 10 percent of our teaching staff. view article

The Judson Independent School District board will vote Aug. 18 on seeking voter approval for a tax increase that could cut its historic budget deficit by more than $24 million next year. If trustees officially call a tax election, it will go on the Nov. 4 ballot. view article

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Greeted by rain and waves from school staff, students in China Spring returned to class kicking off the start of a new school year.  As students begin their studies, Superintendent Marc Faulkner is already preparing for the financial needs of the district.  He’s hopeful a VATRE, or voter approval tax rate election. will be accepted. The district is asking for a $0.06 increase to help it raise new revenue.  Over the summer, a survey was complete to find out what stakeholders value. view article

Homeowners across Central Texas might notice a glaring trend—some market values are dropping in the midst of rising taxable values.   In Texas, there is a 10% annual cap on how much taxable values for homeowners with a homestead exemption can increase from the year prior, according to Texas Property Tax Code.  Alvin Lankford, chief appraiser of the Williamson Central Appraisal District, explained how if market values spiked 30% or more in 2022, then taxable values could still be playing “catch-up” in 2025.  view article

Homeowners across Central Texas might notice a glaring trend—some market values are dropping in the midst of rising taxable values.  In Texas, there is a 10% annual cap on how much taxable values for homeowners with a homestead exemption can increase from the year prior, according to Texas Property Tax Code.  Alvin Lankford, chief appraiser of the Williamson Central Appraisal District, explained how if market values spiked 30% or more in 2022, then taxable values could still be playing “catch-up” in 2025.  “Your assessed value, which is the amount you can be taxed on, can only go up 10% per year, but your market value is still going to be wherever the market is,” Lankford said during a Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting in early June. “Assessed values will continually rise by 10% until they reach market value.” view article

The tax hike would go before voters in November if approved by the Harris County Commissioners Court.  Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has unveiled a proposal for a property tax increase—dubbed a “penny tax”—to preserve and expand county-funded early childhood programs formerly supported by federal COVID‑era relief. The move has spurred sharp criticism from commissioners unprepared for the announcement.  According to Hidalgo, the one‑cent tax would cost roughly $10 per $100,000 of assessed value and generate approximately $60 million a year from annual property taxes—revenue intended to sustain programs like Early REACH, which serves about 800 children under age five.  view article

Gov. Greg Abbott boasted about plowing another $3.5 billion into cutting homeowners’ property taxes in the latest legislative session. Now, he wants state lawmakers to go even further during the special session by capping how much cities and counties can increase their spending. The Texas Republican has framed the issue as his next major legislative battle after signing long-sought private school vouchers into law earlier this year.    “What I would like to see done is to make sure that every property taxing jurisdiction must live just within the same spending limits that the state has to live in,” Abbott said in an interview with Hearst Newspapers. “And if they're confined in that … their ability to impose greater property taxes is going to be hamstrung.” view article

Houston-based chain Shipley Do-Nuts no longer has Texas ownership after being acquired Monday by a California private equity firm, Houston TV channel KHOU reports.  A spokesman for Peak Rock Capital announced Monday that the Austin-based firm had sold Shipley to Leichtman Capital Partners, based in Beverly Hills. Also included in Leichtman's portfolio are Cici's Pizza and Nothing Bundt Cakes.  Shipley Do-Nuts, one of the largest donut companies in the country, got its start as a small Houston shop in 1936. Now, the nearly 90-year-old business has more than 375 stores operating in 14 states. view article

Two Houston-area suburbs have been ranked among the wealthiest neighborhoods in America, according to a GoBankingRates report.  Houston suburbs West University Place and Bellaire listed in the top 50 American suburbs in the report. West University Place ranked No. 3, and Bellaire ranked No. 23, with home values in both areas around $1 million. view article

This budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $69,443,984 or 6.2%, and of that amount $12,251,418 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll  view article

As Texans grapple with the devastating flood that struck the Hill Country on July 4th, killing over 130 people and leaving many still missing, local officials have already taken steps to potentially raise property taxes—without voter approval.  On Monday, the Kerr County Commissioners Court unanimously authorized its tax assessor to calculate property tax rates using a special provision in state law that allows for a higher cap on increases in the wake of a disaster. view article

For the first time in more than three decades, San Antonio city leaders are considering raising the property tax rate for the 2026 fiscal year.  For the average home within city limits, valued at $235,000 with a homestead exemption, the change would cost the homeowner an extra $57 to $67 on their next property tax bill.  “The city has not raised the tax rate since I was in college, so it’s been some time,” City Manager Erik Walsh told the City Council at a budget goal-setting session on Friday. “I suspect it won’t be a positive reaction.”  City Council will approve a tax rate and budget in September, and have already been looking at spending cuts to stave off a potentially ballooning deficit.  Walsh alerted council members in May that low consumer confidence was negatively impacting many facets of city revenue, including hotel occupancy tax, the airport development services and residential and commercial building permits. view article

Gov. Greg Abbott has signed three measures providing new property tax relief to homeowners and businesses.  During a press conference in Denton on Monday, Abbott signed Senate Bill 4, Senate Bill 23, and House Bill 9 into law, which he says will bring the total amount of additional tax relief passed this session up to $10 billion. That number, however, includes some existing property tax relief passed in previous sessions.  All three measures in the tax relief package were worked on by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) and State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R–Dallas), who were in attendance at the signing.  The first measure signed, SB 4, raises the homestead exemption to $140,000. view article

This November, voters across Texas will be asked to approve larger property tax breaks for homeowners and businesses.  The three proposals passed the Texas House and Senate with nearly unanimous support in May, and Gov. Greg Abbott signed them into law June 16. But because the tax cuts would be enshrined in the state Constitution, voters will have the final say.  “Do you think your property taxes are too high? So do I,” Abbott told residents of Robson Ranch, a senior living community in Denton, on June 16. “I’m going to sign three pieces of legislation that lower those taxes.” view article

The Republican Party of Texas is calling for a special session of the state legislature on a series of unaddressed priorities. With unfinished Republican priorities still lingering after the close of the regular legislative session, the Republican Party of Texas is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to immediately convene a special session to address several key issues—including the elimination of property taxes, a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying, and bail reform.  The resolution, adopted unanimously by the State Republican Executive Committee, lays out a series of demands for lawmakers that largely mirror the party’s legislative priorities approved by grassroots delegates at last year’s Republican convention.  At the top of the list: property tax elimination. view article

Almost half a world away, shipyards along the Texas Gulf Coast are poised to play an important role as the world's polar regions quickly become a national-security priority. In other words, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard want to acquire specially outfitted ships known as icebreakers as soon as possible.  The pieces are moving. Last week, the Canadian shipbuilding firm Davie announced its plans to spend $1 billion to acquire, modernize, and expand facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur from the Texas-based Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corporation. Davie's CEO, James Davies, said the deal would turn the Texas coast into a "world-class" production hub of icebreakers and other complex vessels. view article

COLLEGE STATION (Texas Real Estate Research Center) – Texas’ housing market slowed in February after persistently low mortgage interest rates contributed to record sales in the existing-home sector the previous month. "Sales activity was greatly hindered by February’s unseasonably wintery weather that caused power outages and water disruptions across the state," said Dr. Luis Torres, research economist for the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University. Existing-homes sold through the Texas Multiple Listing Services declined 16 percent from January, drawing even with year-ago levels. Despite slower sales, the state’s existing-home inventory fell below 1.5 months in February. The number of new listings that hit the market declined for the second straight month to their lowest reading since April 2020, when the state was under a stay-at-home mandate. view article

Count on the Texas Legislature to come up with a painfully complicated and inefficient way to repeal a painfully complicated and inefficient tax. Lawmakers deserve praise for targeting the Texas Franchise Tax, but their methods are unsound. The franchise tax, also called the margins or business tax, ranks consistently as one of the worst taxes anywhere in the country. It was the convoluted response to the Texas Supreme Court declaring the public school finance system unconstitutional. Lawmakers had to lower property taxes to comply with the court order, so to find replacement funds they rewrote the franchise tax, what businesses pay for the privilege to operate in our great state. view article

The Dallas school board Thursday night voted against putting a tax ratification election before voters this fall. The proposed 13-cent tax hike would have given the district $100 million to fund early childhood education and early college high school programs. The district also wanted to expand a program that pays extra money to top teachers who take jobs in some of the district’s toughest schools. view article

Trustees of the Wylie Independent School District proposed a tax rate of $1.13 per $100 of property value for the 2016-17 fiscal year — a tax cut of 2.4 cents — and added more money to the proposed budget for teachers' salaries during Monday's regular board meeting. Trustees conducted their third of three workshops for the 2016-17 budget of $32.340 million and set a special meeting for Monday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 p.m. to receive comments from the public on the budget and tax rate and then consider approval. view article