Harris County commissioners increase taxes to fill $180 million shortfall

Audio By Carbonatix

(The Center Square) – The Harris County Commissioner’s Court has increased taxes by an historic amount to fill a projected $180 million shortfall. 

On Tuesday, the commissioners voted 3-2 to “adopt the highest county property tax rate in modern history in a bid to bridge a more-than $180 million projected budget deficit,” the Houston Chronicle reported.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, who has been proposing tax cut measures in the state legislature, said the proposed tax increases were the second highest in modern history. The county property tax increase pushes “the average combined homestead property tax bill up to $2160/year. The increase makes it just shy of HISD average home tax bill of $2220/hear. Do we need that much county government?” he asked.

The plan involves residents in the largest county in Texas paying 67 cents for every $100 in taxable property value, more than rates the commissioners approved each year dating to the 1980s. The increase, commissioners said, was in response to a fourth consecutive budget deficit since 2023. 

The deficit is largely driven by statutory requirements to fund law enforcement, to pay for subsidized Harris Healthcare costs and indigent attorney fees. It’s also a result of shortfalls caused by one-time federal grants expiring. Rather than cut spending, Democratic commissioners voted to increase taxes.

By comparison, earlier this year, Houston’s Democratic mayor and Democratic majority city council, found cost cutting measures to avoid raising taxes to also deal with a deficit. 

The county’s Office of Management and Budget says the increase will cost the average homeowner $198 more this year alone. 

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, and Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey were the only two who voted against the tax increase. 

“I and others have been explaining for years that Harris County has a spending problem. A new proposal this week to create a new department will only add to our current spending and, as a result, taxing problem,” Ramsey said. “Like any budget, there is fat and waste and areas where we can save. While other counties in the state either cut taxes or keep them at the same rate for the benefit of their communities, SOME in Harris County find new ways to create a financial burden for residents.”

Democratic Commissioner Adrian Garcia blamed Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump for his vote to increase taxes. 

“I would have loved to be proposing a major property tax cut but thanks to President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott we have yet again incurred costs that the federal and state governments should be paying,” he said. 

Reducing property taxes is a top concern among voters and a legislative priority of Abbott’s and the legislature. 

At a recent state Senate hearing, Bettencourt said the governor and legislature’s past efforts to reduce property taxes are working. A new analysis of property taxes conducted by his office found that 60% of seniors and the disabled and 40% of other homestead homeowners in Texas pay no independent school district (ISD) property taxes, The Center Square reported.

Abbott has laid out a five-point property tax plan, which he argues will lower property taxes even more. He argues spiking appraisals and local government tax hikes have wiped out property tax reduction gains and more needs to be done. His plan includes imposing budget constraints on local governments, requiring a two-thirds vote for taxing authorities to impose property tax increases, reforming the appraisal process, eliminating the ISD Maintenance & Operations tax altogether and proposing a constitutional amendment to do that.

Additional measures are being considered to restrict counties, like Harris, from increasing taxes and uncontrolled spending, Abbott, Bettencourt and other state lawmakers have said.