The breakdown
The tax rate is proposed as part of a $2.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2024-25—a decrease from last year’s budget due to spending down American Rescue Plan Act funds and completion of capital projects, said David Smith, Bexar County manager and budget officer, during an Aug. 20 presentation to the court. Bexar County has kept that tax rate since 2021, according to county documents.
“I want to point out that if the court does adopt the current tax rate this year in September of 29.999 cents, it will mark the 30th budget and year in a row that Commissioners Court has never increased the property tax rate,” Smith said. “Back in 1994 the county tax rate was 38.8 cents. It is now down to 29.99 cents. And as was previously discussed, according to the calculations as mandated by state law, if you adopt 29.999 cents, again, you are technically cutting taxes.”
Due to rising property values, the $0.299999 rate would raise tax revenue over last year by more than $10 million, Smith said.
Stay tuned
Residents can attend one of the two remaining budget town hall meetings with Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai as well as fill out an online county survey that can be found here.
The survey asks residents to identify three top priorities out of a list as well as answer two open-ended questions to identify a priority of least interest and what other questions or concerns a resident might have.
The remaining town halls will be held in Precinct 1 and Precinct 4 as follows:
- Aug. 21, 6 p.m., CentroMed Health & Wellness Center, 3800 Commercial Ave., San Antonio, with Sakai and Precinct 1 Commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores
- Aug. 22, 6 p.m., Second Baptist Church Community Center, 3310 E. Commerce St., San Antonio, with Sakai and Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert
