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File #: 25-4746    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Discussion Item Status: Agenda Ready
File created: 7/25/2025 In control: Commissioners Court
On agenda: 8/7/2025 Final action: 8/7/2025
Title: Request for discussion and possible action for a proposed 2025 tax rate for Harris County. Potential action may include directing relevant departments to post notices of a hearing for a tax rate adoption that is above the Voter Approval Rate.
Primary Department: County Judge
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Lina Hidalgo

Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A

Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA

Type of Request: Discussion Item

Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A

MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request

Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item

Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
title
Request for discussion and possible action for a proposed 2025 tax rate for Harris County. Potential action may include directing relevant departments to post notices of a hearing for a tax rate adoption that is above the Voter Approval Rate.
end

Background and Discussion:
Commissioners Court normally proposes tax rates for all entities it sets the tax rate for at the same time. To propose any 2025 tax rates above the Voter Approval Rate (VAR), the discussion of tax rates must be expedited to meet statutory timelines for proposing tax rates, holding a public hearing, adopting tax rates, and calling a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) for the purpose of maintaining a portion of critical Harris County early childhood programming. Should voters not approve an adopted tax rate at the election, the 2025 tax rate would revert to the VAR. Per the Texas Tax Code, any VATRE must be held on the November uniform election date, which is November 4 this year.
Should Commissioners Court desire to propose a tax rate above the VAR, Court would propose tax rates at the August 7 meeting and a Public Hearing should be properly called and noticed so that it can be held at the August 14, 2025 meeting of Commissioners Court, after which the Court can adopt the proposed tax rates and call for a VATRE.


Expected Impac...

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