Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare championed lowered property tax rates and economic growth during his recent State of the County address.
The county unanimously approved lower tax rates earlier this month, as reported by The Dallas Express.
During his address at the Fort Worth Convention Center, the Republican leader said homeowners will have lower property tax payments even if their property values have increased.
“A lot of times, people talk about tax cuts, and then when you get your bill, you actually look at it, and your tax bill is higher than it was before, which doesn’t seem a whole lot like a tax cut,” O’Hare said, per KERA news.
O’Hare said the average Tarrant County homeowner will save roughly 22% on their taxes next year.
Republicans outnumber Democrats on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court 3-2, but O’Hare pointed to lower tax rates as an example of how county leaders can put aside their differences and work together for the benefit of county residents.
He cited GM’s commitment to invest more than $500 million in a manufacturing plant in Arlington as an example of the county’s economic growth. He also touted the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark, a planned sixth terminal at DFW airport, and the construction of Texas A&M University School of Law’s new facility in downtown Fort Worth.
“People are moving here in droves,” he said, per WFAA. “We have a wonderful place to live, work, worship and raise a family.”
Tarrant County spending will also be reduced by $8 million year-over-year according to the budget county commissioners are scheduled to adopt before the upcoming fiscal year begins on October 1, per WFAA.
Meanwhile, taxpayer spending and property tax rates have caused controversy among leaders in the City of Dallas.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Mayor Eric Johnson and Council Member Cara Mendelsohn have led the charge to reduce spending and lower property tax rates, but their efforts have not been supported by City Manager T.C. Broadnax and the majority of their colleagues on the City Council.
