HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – Harris County Commissioners approved a historic property tax increase Thursday that will raise the combined tax rate to about 67 cents for every $100 of taxable value.
That means if you own a home assessed at $400,000 your taxes will increase by almost $200 a year.
The public comment was limited, and one citizen challenged commissioners, asking why they wouldn’t put an increase like this in front of voters, especially since the county leaders came as close as they could -- the maximum hike -- without having to legally seek voter approval.
Not one commissioner or the county judge answered that question.
The vote was 3-1, with Commissioner Tom Ramsey casting the only vote against the increase. “This is not the time to do this to the people of Harris County,” he said, adding that affordability was a big issue right now and this type of tax hike could mean owning a home would be out of reach for people already struggling.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo did not participate in the final vote after stepping out of the meeting, saying her action was “symbolic.”
RELATED: Hidalgo criticized history tax hike and calls new budget spending ‘unsustainable’
The increase brings the combined rate to about 67 cents per $100 of taxable value, up from about 62 cents.
HOW MUCH MORE WILL HOMEOWNERS PAY?
During Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Lesley Briones said the average Texas homeowner owns a home valued at about $400,000.
For that homeowner, the increase is expected to mean roughly $198 more per year in property taxes.
The exact amount a homeowner will pay will vary depending on the home’s taxable value, exemptions and the taxing entities that apply to the property.
The county tax rate is only one portion of a homeowner’s overall property tax bill. School districts, cities, municipal utility districts and other taxing entities can and do levy property taxes.
WHY IS HARRIS COUNTY RAISING THE RATE?
The county’s revenue funds the county’s general fund, flood control, Harris Health and the Port Authority.
The county is preparing for a projected budget shortfall of about $180 million for the upcoming fiscal year.
After voting to approve the tax increase and the budget, Judge Hidalgo admonished the three commissioners voting in favor -- Lesley Briones, Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia -- for spending money the county doesn’t have, and essentially “kicking the can down the road.”
County officials have pointed to rising healthcare costs, law enforcement expenses and other growing obligations as factors contributing to the budget gap.
Briones, Ellis and Garcia defended their positions, blaming President Donald Trump and Governor Greg Abbott, saying they crippled the state by reducing funding for key services.
Commissioner Briones also cited the county’s growth as a reason for increasing taxes, although recent data shows the county’s growth has flattened, according to Mark Jones with Rice University’s Baker Institute.
“No, Harris County is growing only by a very modest amount. This past year, our population grew only by a percent,” Jones told KPRC 2 Reporter Sandy Torres. Two contributing factors are people moving to suburbs in other counties like Fort Bend and Montgomery, combined with the largest immigration crackdown in 60 years.
“In previous years, were it not for international migration,” Jones said, “population would have shrunk.”
Briones told KPRC 2 on Wednesday that the property tax hike was needed because of the county’s growth. She defended the funding of 70 new positions in her office, saying Precinct 4 was the fastest growing portion of the county.
The new budget also funds pay raises for county constables. They are now guaranteed $305,000 a year until the year 2032. Their pay has more than doubled in the last two years.
Commissioners Court approved a 23% raise for the eight Harris County constables in 2024, which saw their salaries increase from $144,279 to $178,000. In 2025, Commissioners Court approved another raise for the constables, which raised their pay to $260,000.
Harris County’s 8 constables now make more than:
- U.S. President’s Vice President — $235,100
- Governor of Texas — $153,750
- Speaker of the U.S. House — $223,500
- House/Senate Majority & Minority Leaders / Senate President Pro Tempore — $193,400
- Members of Congress (Senators & Representatives) — $174,000
The new budget continues funding for some programs that had been supported with temporary funds, including domestic violence services and other community programs. But programs like R.E.S.E.T, a reentry program that helped young ex-offenders turn their lives around, won’t get any money.
COMMISSIONERS QUESTIONED ABOUT VOTER APPROVAL
During the meeting, commissioners were asked whether the tax increase would trigger an election. “We are talking about millions of dollars here,” one citizen said. " If I am expected to pay the increase, why couldn’t I vote on it?" After several seconds of silence from the Commissioners, he responded " I don’t appreciate this silence as an answer."
Under Texas law, certain local tax-rate increases require voter approval when a taxing unit adopts a rate above the applicable voter-approval threshold.
The rate ultimately approved Thursday was just below that legal threshold.
Commissioner Ramsey took issue with that, asking if the legal ceiling for hiking taxes without voter approval had been higher, would the other commissioners have raised taxes even more.
Commissioner Garcia said the decision for him was painful. He said he wanted the county to give back $15 million dollars from the tax increase.
“We don’t have to grab everything, just because we can,” he said.
COMMISSIONERS DIVIDED OVER SPENDING
The tax increase came after weeks of debate over how Harris County should address its projected budget shortfall.
Ramsey argued the county should look for additional spending reductions rather than increase the tax rate.
Other commissioners said reducing the rate would require additional cuts to county programs and services.
The disagreements reflect a larger debate over how Harris County should balance rising costs with the amount of money collected from property owners.
The county’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget is about $3.1 billion.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOUR TAX BILL?
The new rate does not mean every homeowner will see the same percentage increase on their property tax bill.
A homeowner’s bill depends on the taxable value of the property, exemptions and the rates set by the various taxing entities that serve the property.
For homeowners trying to estimate the impact, the most important number is the taxable value shown on the property’s appraisal and tax records. One property owner saying before the vote, “If this happens again, I cannot afford to live here anymore,” addressing how this increase impacts Harris County residents.
The county rate is also separate from rates set by local school districts, cities, community college districts and other taxing entities, which compound.
The new Harris County rate will take effect with the county’s fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
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