Many city, county, and school district officials are in the early stages of deciding where to set their tax rates for the next fiscal year. In some cases, these local decisions will push property taxes higher, creating new challenges for family budgets and forcing tough personal choices.
Given the very real prospect of tax hikes on the horizon, now is the time for Texans to learn what their local governments are up to and get involved in the decision-making process—while there’s still time to advocate for taxpayer-friendly alternatives.
To better illustrate what may be around the bend, let’s consider Highland Park ISD (HPISD).
According to HPISD’s Notice of Public Meeting to Discuss Budget and Proposed Tax Rate, school district trustees are weighing whether to adopt a tax rate of $0.8153 per $100 of value, which is the highest rate that officials may adopt without seeking voter approval. If trustees follow through with this tax increase, then the typical homeowner’s tax bill will rise from $18,609 per residence to $19,535 per residence. That is a one-year tax hike of $926.
Of course, there is no requirement that HPISD trustees adopt the proposed tax rate. In fact, officials 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 those interested in seeing HPISD adopt the NNR tax rate, there is an upcoming public meeting where the school district will solicit public input and give taxpayers a forum to have their concerns voiced. The details are as follows:
