Harris County Commissioners Court voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday to advance a proposed property tax rate of 41.75 cents per $100 of taxable value, up from the current 38.096 cents, FOX 26 Houston reported. This was a vote to propose the rate, not to adopt it. A public hearing and the final adoption vote are scheduled for September 17 at 9 a.m.
The county is working through an estimated $181 million shortfall in a proposed $3.1 billion budget. Coverage describes the increase as roughly 9.6% on the county rate alone and about 7.6% across the county controlled taxing units combined. Estimates of the annual cost to a typical homeowner varied by outlet, from about $120 to more than $190, depending on property value and exemptions. Kingwood, Humble, Atascocita, Huffman and Fall Creek residents all pay the Harris County rate, so the number that matters locally is the one adopted on September 17.
