The breakdown
Travis County officials approved a one-year 9.12% tax hike Sept. 16 in order to pay for this summer's severe flooding damages.
Due to state and federal disaster declarations following the flood, the county is allowed to raise property taxes without needing voter approval. Normally, any increase over 3.5% would require a public vote, per state law.
The approved higher property tax rate for the fiscal year 2025-26 budget year is roughly 3 cents more per $100 of property value, at $0.375845 per $100 valuation.
For the average homeowner—properties valued around $515,213—this means their county tax bill will go up by about $200, with around $72 of that tied to recovery costs from the July flooding disaster.
This tax increase is only a one-time disaster-related increase and will raise around $42 million set aside in a special reserve, according to county documents. The tax rate will be lowered in FY 2026-27 once the road repairs and recovery costs are covered, county staff said.
What locals are saying
Travis County resident Robert Ruggiero told commissioners during public comment Sept. 16 he feared being taxed out of his home. A retired veteran, Ruggiero is currently living on a fixed income.
“I understand the county's desire to have a security nest egg for future emergencies, it feels good and prudent to have readily accessible pockets in an emergency,” he said. “... I would like the option of keeping my $200 in my [own] emergency fund.”
Ruggiero said the law allowing the county to levy the large increase without taking it to the voters “lifted the lid on the cookie jar” exposing Travis County residents to “government abuse.”
“My civic duty is to pay my taxes for the good of citizens of the county and the state, but that's predicated on the bond of trust that my government is doing what is right for me and my fellow citizens.”
The bottom line
To date, Travis County has already doled out over $21 million toward flood recovery efforts, zeroing out the previously budgeted $15 million emergency reserve fund.
Travis County Budget Director Travis Gatlin highlighted ongoing costs from the July flooding event, including:
- $17 million in emergency funding ranging from initial aid and resources to debris removal and temporary road repairs
- Personnel costs $1.9 million, covering 35,000 hours responding to the disaster
- Two new Health and Human Services positions through next fiscal year, costing $312,982
County staff noted that emergency and infrastructure costs may continue to grow and emphasized transparency measures, including using the $42 million special purpose reserves in the budget to plan for anticipated expenditures related to the flood and for future emergency events.
Commissioner Ann Howard said after recent years’ winter storms and other disasters, the county worked with emergency response officials to determine what was needed to make the county more weather resilient.
She highlighted the need to repair and upgrade substandard roads, noting that voters approved funding for this in the most recent 2023 bond.
“There are still about 100 miles of substandard roads [across the county]. That is another place that we need to examine—which of those roads are in low-water crossings, and what else can we do to shore up the safety of our residents?” Howard said.
Related highlights
“In my 24 years of being here, I've seen multiple wildfires, winter storms, flooding events and even a pandemic. And it seems like these are becoming more and more frequent,” Gatlin said during an August meeting with commissioners. “We need to prepare for those worst case scenarios. What if two events happen in one year? How do we deal with that?”
Travis County faces higher weather and climate hazard risks than neighboring counties such as Williamson and Hays, and exceeds both state and national averages, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Travis County currently offers a 20% homestead exemption.
A homestead exemption is a legal provision that may lower residents' tax bills. If a resident owns and occupies their home, they may be eligible for the general residential homestead exemption. Exemptions are also available for disabled veterans, seniors over the age of 65, people with qualifying disabilities and some surviving spouses.
Find additional information here.
