The Tarrant County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a lower hospital district tax rate for the 2024 fiscal year amid objections from the Tarrant County Hospital District’s board of managers.
Board managers for the district, which is also known as the JPS Health Network, had previously approved the same tax rate as they did the previous year, $0.224 for every $100 in valuation. However, the commissioners voted to override the rate, opting instead to lower taxes.
The commissioners set a new tax rate of $0.1945 for every $100 of valuation, per the Fort Worth Report.
Residents of Tarrant County spoke at the commissioners court meeting on Tuesday ahead of the vote to voice their thoughts on the proposed rates.
“Maintaining the current rate is a tax hike,” Kenya Alu said, according to The Texan. “What we pay is based on our appraised value, so if appraisals go up, so do our taxes.”
Jackee Cox voiced her support for the board managers’ plan, saying that increased tax rates would allow for hospital expansion to keep up with the county’s growing population, reported The Texan.
Commissioner Roy Brooks said that the plan was always to follow the no new revenue tax rate, and the hospital board should have done the same.
“I don’t know whether the board did not understand that it was the county’s policy that we were going to go below the no new revenue rate, or if for some reason they just disagreed with the county’s policy,” said Brooks, per the Fort Worth Report.
County Judge Tim O’Hare supported the new tax rate and said he does not believe it will hinder hospital expansion, adding, “We can be both pro-JPS and also be fiscally responsible.”
In an emailed statement to the Fort Worth Report, a JPS spokesperson said:
“We are aware of the Commissioners’ Court decision regarding the new tax rate set for the Tarrant County Hospital District. We will continue to keep our focus on delivering high-quality healthcare service to the residents of Tarrant County.”
Homestead exemptions of 10% were also enacted by the commissioners court, according to CultureMap Fort Worth.
Tax rate reductions in Tarrant County are expected to save homeowners at least $90 on houses worth about $285,000, reported CBS News Texas.
The Tarrant County operating budget for FY 2024 is currently set to be $896.6 million, which is a decrease from the FY 2023 budget of $903.9 million, per The Texan.
O’Hare said that the reduced budget resulted from getting rid of unfilled positions and reducing unnecessary spending, noting that no major services were eliminated, per CBS News. However, county employees will still see raises going into the next fiscal year.
