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 Jacksonville, a relatively small community located in East Texas.
According to its latest Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase, Jacksonville’s city council has proposed a total tax rate of $0.69 per $100 of value, which is an 8.21% increase over the previous year. With home values expected to increase by 2.41%, the act of pairing a rate hike with rising values will mean higher tax bills.
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 $1,073 this year to $1,189 next year. That is a one-year tax hike of $116 or 10.81%.
Source: Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase
Of course, there is no requirement that Jacksonville 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:
