After a marathon public comment session yesterday that lasted from 10am till 10pm, Council came to a consensus around a maximum 5-cent tax rate election (TRE) on top of the base budget, with more discussion on amendments to come today. Speakers were split between homeowners admonishing Council for past spending – and those specifically peeved […]
tax rate
Tax imposed by the federal, state and local government.
Posted inBudget
As state considers further constriction, Council wrestles with how high to go on tax rate election
Ahead of Thursday’s comprehensive budget discussion, there is almost no question that a tax rate election to fund essential city services will be on the ballot come November. At least nine City Council members have expressed support for some level of one, and Council’s Audit and Finance Committee voted unanimously to hold a tax rate […]
Posted inBudget
Council approves maximum tax rate increase in preparation for possible election
At a public hearing Thursday, City Council took the first step toward a possible tax rate election on the November ballot in order to plug Austin’s $33 million deficit and fund the proposed $6.3 billion budget, setting the maximum Council can ask voters to increase their property taxes at 8 cents, or an extra $421 […]
Posted inBudget
Tax rate election seems likely this November
During the City Council Audit & Finance Committee meeting Tuesday, Kerri Lang, director of the city’s budget office, laid out the steps the city would take in deciding whether to submit a request to voters for a property tax increase on the November ballot. At least seven members of Council must vote in favor of […]
Posted inCity Hall
Tax rate election looks likely for Austin this year
Under state law, Austin is only allowed to raise its tax rate by 3.5 percent without asking voters for permission. That law has been on the books since 2019 without the city scheduling a regular tax rate election. But it looks like this is the year. As a reader pointed out, Austin did have a […]
Posted inHousing
The value of your Travis County home has gone up a lot. That doesn’t mean your property taxes will.
People who own property in the Austin area recently received new valuations from the local appraisal district. This number, known as your appraised value, estimates what your property would currently sell for in Austin’s record-breaking housing market. The appraisals are a lot higher than they were last year. According to the Travis Central Appraisal District, […]
Posted inBudget
City tax increase likely, but not 8 percent
Although City Council can raise the city’s tax rate by 8 percent under Gov. Greg Abbott’s disaster declaration related to Winter Storm Uri, Council members will have to carefully weigh how to spend any revenue collected on money generated above the 3.5 percent cap. Because it won’t be there next year. As interim Budget Officer […]
Posted inCity Council
Council to increase homestead exemptions, tax rate ceiling
City Council plans to vote this week on three items affecting Austinites’ property taxes. Two measures would give homeowners modest property tax relief through increased homestead exemption rates. The third measure would effectively set a higher maximum property tax rate, allowing the city more flexibility as it decides what rate to set in August. All […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Texas lawmakers may alter property tax collection. But how does it even work?
During a recent committee hearing on a property tax bill, a state lawmaker made an unusual comment: He praised Travis County. “Travis County has the best record on reducing tax rate,” said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), the author of Senate Bill 1. The bill, which has passed out of the full Senate and may […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Anti-annexation bill now biggest threat to city
Although there were numerous legislative proposals that threatened Austin at the beginning of the current session of the Texas Legislature, the one that now appears to put Austin’s ability to grow and pay for its services in greatest jeopardy is Senate Bill 715, according to Brie Franco, the city’s intergovernmental relations officer. The legislation would […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Troxclair, Adler present opposite views on tax bill
City Council Member Ellen Troxclair and Mayor Steve Adler presented diametrically opposite views at Tuesday’s Senate Finance Committee hearing on Senate Bill 2, which would prevent cities and counties from raising taxes by more than 4 percent above the effective tax rate from one year to the next. The rate, called the rollback rate, is […]
Posted inTexas State Legislature
Legislature makes tax caps a priority, cities respond
Well-worn battle lines between the city and state were retraced Tuesday, as the Texas Legislature made it clear that it would be making property tax caps a priority this session. The response from area cities was just as clear. Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) framed the unveiling of SB-2 (and the accompanying committee report) as a […]