The Harris County Commissioners Court approved a $3.095 billion budget, and one of the highest property tax rates in the county’s history with a 3-2 vote during its Sept. 17 meeting.
What you need to know: Taxpayers will see a 7.6% property tax rate increase in comparison with last year after the court approved a rate of $0.67 per $100 of home value. The court also adopted the 2026-27 budget amid a projected shortfall of about $181 million.
The property tax rate will cost the average homeowner $193 per year, Harris County Office of Management and Budget Director Daniel Ramos previously said.
The details: Some of the major drivers of cost were healthcare, pay equity and the justice system. Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones said the county’s cost to provide healthcare increased $89 million this year compared with last. The court also approved pay raises for law enforcement and some elected officials in August, with the constables, district attorney, county attorney, district clerk and tax assessor-collector set to make $305,000 annually. The budget includes $15 million in additional funding for indigent defense, with the goal of the county’s Public Defender’s Office to represent 50% of eligible cases, according to a press release.
The court oversees tax rates for the county’s general fund, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Port of Houston Authority and Harris Health. It also sets the budget for those entities, with the exception of the port authority.
About 80% of the county’s budget is funded through property taxes.
