Another property tax reduction may be in store for Tarrant County residents.
Residents will know more after the public meeting and final vote on the budget, scheduled for September 17.
Commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the recommended budget of $846.4 million, which is $50.2 million less than what was passed a year ago.
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez hailed this as a historic budget.
“Today, Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez along with his colleagues on the Court, passed the second consecutive, historically conservative budget in Tarrant County history. The FY2025 budget reduces taxes imposed on the citizens of Tarrant County, again, below the ‘no new revenue’ rate and ensures that every resident will pay less taxes to the county than last year,” Ramirez posted on Facebook.
Ramirez emphasized the current issues that ordinary residents are facing.
“I recognize that when Tarrant County citizens deal with record inflation, we must do everything possible to provide tax relief. We have once again proven that fiscal conservatism is possible with a laser focus on providing service to the core needs of our community,” Ramirez’s Facebook post said.
Other commissioners were more cautious with the proposed budget.
“In the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, one of the responsibilities of government is to promote the general welfare,” Commissioner Roy Brooks said, speaking before the Thursday vote.
“There are charges to keep taxation at a minimum that is consistent with promoting the general welfare. We’ve done a good job with that,” Brooks said. “But I can see the handwriting on the wall, and we’re going to hit that wall, and we’re going to have challenges in the future,” reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The average taxable value for a home in Tarrant County is $277,000, and the proposed rate cut would result in a yearly tax bill of $519, which is $35.70 less than in the previous fiscal year, reported KERA News.
When director of budget and risk management Helen Giese was asked about Brooks’ concerns, she said, “It is the commissioners’ job and duty to give emotional speeches. It’s my duty to work with the numbers. I think he was clear in what he was saying, that as we reduce our tax rate, it will be more and more and more difficult to balance the budget,” reported FWST.