Collin County homeowners may see a higher property tax bill this fall after a vote by county commissioners on Thursday. And that bill could go up even more if a bond package that would help pay for road improvements passes in November.
Commissioners voted 4-1 on Thursday during a budget workshop to raise the county’s property taxes to about 15 cents per $100 of a home’s value. The revenue from the taxes would help fund the court’s recommended county budget of about $470.3 million.
The commissioners’ court is expected to adopt the final budget and tax rate at its Sept. 11 meeting. Residents who want to comment on the budget can sign up to speak at the Aug. 21 or Aug. 28 commissioners’ court meetings.
The average home value in Collin County went up about 14% this year, or $584,040 according to the county’s Central Appraisal District. Hill said in a statement shared on social media that the average homeowner can expect to pay about $828.63 in property taxes under the new rate – that’s about $85 more than last year’s average bill.
County Judge Chris Hill was the only one to vote against raising the county’s property taxes for the upcoming fiscal year.
Hill said during a previous commissioners court meeting that he has financial concerns about raising property taxes because of an upcoming bond election in November.
“My concern is after we potentially raise your taxes, we’re going to ask you if you’re willing to raise your own taxes to approve the bond election,” he said.
The court is expected to finalize its approval of the ballot for the November bond election next week. The total bond fund would be about $683 million. Most of it would go toward road improvements.
Collin County is growing – it’s the third fastest developing county in the nation according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Commissioner Susan Fletcher said the county needs to ensure it can fund services for its citizens.
“I don't want to spend an extra dollar on anything that we don't need if it's just a nicety and it makes us feel good,” Fletcher said. “That's not where I am. However, we have a lot of need.”
Fletcher and other commissioners advocated for raising county employees’ salaries. The court voted unanimously to raise their pay by 4%. Fletcher said the average employee in Collin County serves 565 citizens, which is more citizens per staffer than other large Texas counties.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
Caroline Love is a Report For Americacorps member for KERA News.
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