Harris County commissioners approved an increase in the county's property tax rate at a Sept. 19 meeting. The tax rate was approved alongside the county's budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The takeaway
Commissioners approved property tax rates for three taxing entities at the Sept. 19 meeting.
- Harris County: $0.38529 per $100 of valuation, approved by a vote of 4-1
- Harris County Port of Houston Authority: $0.00615 per $100 of valuation, approved by a vote of 5-0
- Harris County Hospital District: $0.16348 per $100 of valuation, approved by a vote of 4-1
Along with those rates, commissioners also approved a property tax rate of $0.04897 per $100 of valuation for the Harris County Flood Control District in August, a rate that will need voter approval to be official. Harris County voters will decide the fate of that tax rate during the Nov. 5 election.
The move came as the city of Houston is considering a property tax rate increase of its own.
Digging in
The four rates together make a combined property tax rate in the county of $0.60389 per $100 of valuation, an increase from the tax rate of $0.53029 per $100 of valuation. The vote represents the first time the county hasn't lowered its tax rate since it maintained the same tax rate in FY 2018-19.
- 2024-25 tax rate: $0.60389
- 2023-24 tax rate: $0.53029
- 2022-23 tax rate: $0.53058
- 2021-22 tax rate: $0.58135
- 2020-21 tax rate: $0.5992
- 2019-20 tax rate: $0.61170
- 2018-19 tax rate: $0.62998
- 2017-18 tax rate: $0.62998
If voters approve the tax rate increase for the HCFCD in November and the overall tax rate is set, the owner of a home valued at $300,000 would pay roughly $1,450 in annual property taxes, after the county's 20% homestead exemption is factored in. Under the current property tax rate, that homeowner pays about $1,272 in annual property taxes.
Commissioners also bumped up property tax exemptions for senior and disabled homeowners in May.
What else
By a 4-1 vote, commissioners also approved the county's FY 2024-25 budget at the Sept. 19 meeting, with Ramsey casting the lone dissenting vote. The budget includes about $2.9 billion for the county's general fund budget and $274.1 million for the HCFCD.
Prior to the vote, Ramsey offered an amendment that would restore $6 million in funding to the county's district attorney's office, which District Attorney Kim Ogg said would help the department retain 54 employees.
Harris County Budget Director Daniel Ramos ensured no layoffs would take place at the DA's office or the county auditor's office between the adoption of the budget and the end of the calendar year. In January, Ramos said he would bring an item to the commissioners court agenda to restore funding to the DA based on what the department's needs are.
