Harris County school board holds first public hearing on proposed 18.5‑mill tax rate

Garnet Ray, chair of the Harris County Board of Education, opened a public hearing Aug. 7 on the district’s tentative millage rate and said the board has “tentatively adopted a millage rate of 18.5 mills,” an increase the district calculates as a 15.44% rise over the rollback rate of 16.025 mills.

The increase, Superintendent Dr. Finney told the audience, is intended to cover rising mandatory costs and locally driven needs including employer health benefits and teacher retirement contributions, new state curriculum materials, multilayered safety protocols and continued transportation and operational expenses. “We’re already incurring these costs,” Finney said, listing a roughly $1 million increase for state health benefits and a comparable rise in teacher retirement contributions that took effect July 1.

Why it matters: A millage change affects homeowners directly. Finney provided an example: on a $400,000 fair market value home, the district estimates the proposed increase would add about $320 in annual property tax; he said non‑homestead property at $250,000 would see roughly a $200 increase. He also noted that roughly 57% of the district’s tax digest is residential property while about 8% is commercial and industrial, and urged that commercial development is one long‑term solution to tax pressure.

Public commenters strongly disagreed about the size of the increase and the district’s budget choices. Brian McKeen, a resident who reviewed state grant programs, told the board that recent reassessments on agricultural land make the district eligible for Forest Land Protection Act (FLPA) grants and that those grants will increase with the millage rate; McKeen calculated the FLPA grant at $666,352 at the current 16.5 rate and about $747,122 at 18.5 mills, and argued that the district’s own numbers justify closer to a 1.39‑mill increase rather than 2 mills. “How do you justify more than a 1 mil increase when a 1 mil increase results in an almost dead‑on mathematical figure of your bucket,” McKeen said.

Several residents, including Connie Guy and Steve Lehi, urged the board to hold the millage steady or raise it by less than proposed, warning of hardship for seniors and households on fixed incomes. “A millage increase on top of widespread valuation increases quickly compounds into oppressive taxation for our most vulnerable,” Guy said. Lehi and other commenters cited U.S. Census and county figures to say a significant share of residents are 60 or older and on limited incomes.

Officials and staff clarified tax mechanics and timing. Shelly Mallory, the county’s chief appraiser, explained that House Bill 581 (the 3‑year revaluation requirement) requires appraisers to revalue property at least every three years and that the county’s agricultural land had not been revalued for about 18 years. “We were required by the Department of Revenue to be within compliance,” Mallory said, adding that 42% of rural properties actually decreased in value during the revaluation and that homestead exemptions can remove inflationary growth from taxable value. Mallory urged homeowners who believe they qualify for homestead or senior exemptions to file with the tax assessor before the deadline.

Budget context provided by staff: Finney said the district’s total operating budget is about $88 million, with roughly 78% going to salaries and benefits. He warned the board expects to lose approximately $3.7 million in equalization revenue next year and that continued growth in student enrollment will require additional classrooms and eventually new schools; he estimated a new elementary could cost $27 million to $30 million given construction inflation. He also noted the district carries debt from prior bonds, including roughly $24 million for Carver Middle School, and that one mill of taxation produces about $1.9 million for the district.

Process and next steps: The board emphasized the hearing is one of several required public sessions and that the board will continue discussing the millage before a final vote. Members said the final millage decision is scheduled for the board meeting on Aug. 19, and residents were told the tax digest and exemptions remain subject to final processing by the tax commissioner’s office. Finney and staff warned the district might need to use short‑term borrowing if revenues fall short before property tax collections are remitted in December–January.

Ending: With strong turnout and sharply divided public comments, the board left the proposal open for revision before the Aug. 19 vote, and staff encouraged homeowners to check homestead exemption status and other tax‑relief qualifications with the tax assessor’s office.