Most Collin County homeowners are likely see a higher property tax bill next year, despite county commissioners voting lower the tax rate slightly this week. Collin County officials dropped rates three-hundredths of a cent per $100 of appraised home value for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. ($0.149 cents per $100 of a home’s value, down from $0.152). The no-new-revenue rate would have required a drop of about two-and-a-half tenths of a cent. The Texas Newsroom reports next year’s rate could raise the average tax bill by about $49.
Collin County Commissioner Susan Fletcher said the county needs the added revenue to fund county services straining under a dramatic increase in population and development. The county recently added two more district courts. The county jail and animal shelter could also be expanded if four bond propositions totaling $683 million pass in November.
Fletcher and other commissioners advocated for raising county employees’ salaries by 4%. Fletcher said the average employee in Collin County serves 565 citizens, which is more citizens per staffer than other large Texas counties.
County Judge Chris Hill said during a previous commissioners’ court meeting that the county shouldn’t raise property taxes ahead of the bond election. He was the only commissioners’ court member who voted against the rate when it was adopted this week and when it was proposed in August.