Many city, county, and school district officials are right now deciding where to set tax rates for the next fiscal year. In some cases, these local decisions will push property taxes higher, creating new challenges for families struggling with affordability.
Given the very real prospect of tax hikes on the horizon, now is the time for Texans to learn what their local elected officials are doing and get involved in the decision-making process—while there’s still time to push for taxpayer-friendly alternatives.
To better illustrate what may be around the bend, let’s consider the city of Round Rock, a mid-sized community located north of Austin.
According to its latest Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase, Round Rock’s city council has proposed a total tax rate of $0.423 per $100 of value, which is a 13.7% increase over the previous year. With home values expected to decrease slightly (-3.7%), the act of pairing a much higher rate with relatively stagnant taxable values is certain to raise taxes in a meaningful way.
Based on the city’s own estimates, the adoption of the proposed tax rate will cause the typical homeowner’s annual tax bill to grow from $1,777 this year to $1,943 next year. That is a one-year tax hike of $166 or 9.34%.
Source: Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase
Of course, there is no requirement that Round Rock officials adopt the proposed tax rate. In fact, they have the discretion to choose a better, friendlier option in the form of the no-new-revenue (NNR) tax rate. The NNR rate is the tax rate that would effectively hold tax receipts constant and “giv[e] homeowners and businesses a chance to catch their breath.”
For residents interested in seeing officials adopt the NNR tax rate, the city is hosting an upcoming forum to solicit public input and give taxpayers a chance to voice their concerns. The details are as follows:
