Tarrant County commissioners approved an $834 million budget Tuesday, lowering the county tax rate for the fourth consecutive year.
Commissioners adopted a property tax rate of 18.6 cents per $100 valuation, a decrease from last year’s tax rate of 18.62 cents. The tax rate is below the no-new-revenue rate, meaning it should generate about the same amount of revenue as last year from the same properties.
Budget director Helen Giese said the lowered tax rate would save the average homeowner about $1 on their tax bills next year. The average taxable value will amount to nearly $278,000 and the tax bill for the average home in Tarrant County will be about $516.
Next year’s budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1, reflects a roughly $10.6 million increase over last year’s. The budget allocates 4% pay raises for law enforcement, 3% merit-based salary increases for county employees who are not law enforcement, and 3% raises for the elected county commissioners.
“Four years ago, we made a promise to the taxpayers of Tarrant County that we would stop treating their money as ours to spend,” County Judge Tim O’Hare said in a statement last month. “This budget is the fourth consecutive year we have kept that promise.”
O’Hare, who is seeking reelection, has made the county’s property tax rate a key focus of his campaign, promising to cut wasteful spending and continue delivering “historic” property tax cuts. His opponent on the November ballot, Democratic commissioner Alisa Simmons, has said she wants to provide “meaningful” tax relief without dipping into county reserves or cutting services.
Simmons and her fellow Democrat on the court, Roderick Miles Jr., voted against the adopted budget and tax rate. O’Hare and Republican commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez were the “yes” votes.
Commissioners faced a range of feedback from meeting attendees, including praise for the tax cuts, criticism of law enforcement funding and threats that commissioners would be “voted out” in November.
“I appreciate that you’ve cut the budget, that my taxes are down,” said Fran Rhodes, president of the grassroots conservative activist group True Texas Project. “For all these people who think you should be collecting more money for more services, they are welcome to write a check to the county at any time.” Rhodes argued it’s not the government’s job to provide services beyond safety, roads and other “basic services.” However, other speakers said the budget dedicates too many dollars to the sheriff’s office and county jail.
Public safety receives nearly $19 million more than last year, with a total of roughly $273 million, according to the approved budget.
“You spend more on two weeks of jail funding than on everything meant to keep people out of it,” speaker Mendi Tackett said. “That isn’t an accident. You’ve chosen jail over people, and punishment over care.”
Texas counties with a population of more than 1 million cannot decrease or reallocate funding for law enforcement without voter approval,according to Senate Bill 23 passed in 2021. Tarrant County’s population surpasses 2 million.
Property tax revenue would be frozen for any applicable counties that lower law enforcement’s budget without voter approval.
More than $200 million would go toward expenses within the sheriff’s office, with $130 million going toward sheriff confinement, the division that oversees the county jail.
Community services will be cut or allocated by $3.5 million, including more than $456,000 in human services. Funding of $2.8 million for community outreach, or rent and utility assistance, was approved separately on a special purpose budget. That money will go toward the Center for Transforming Lives — the nonprofit group that replaced the county’s rental and utility assistance department last year.
When the budget takes effect next month, commissioners’ salaries will increase to $227,234.80. The county judge makes $237,234.60 per year.
Penelope Rivera is KERA’s Tarrant County accountability reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
