Press Items: Senator Paul Bettencourt — District 7
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2026
HOUSTON, TX - Harris County Commissioners Court is considering the 2nd largest property tax revenue increase in county history as it takes up a proposed $3.1 billion budget, with a tax rate vote set for September 8. Calculations by the Office of Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) below show the average Harris County homestead would pay $188 to $220 a year more, depending on how high the Commissioners and County Judge Lina Hidalgo set the combined county property tax rate.
“An average county homestead of $402,489 in appraised value would pay a WHOPPING 8.7 percent or 10.1 percent MORE on their property tax bill if either proposed tax rate is approved!” said Senator Bettencourt. “Taxpayers will not understand nor be happy in a year of affordability concerns nationally, to have to pay $188 to $220 a year MORE on their property tax bill for essentially the same county services.”
Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey has already put the size of this hike on the record. “That’ll be the second largest increase in the history of Harris County,” Ramsey said, and he is right! Only the county’s 2024 VATRE hit the average county homestead harder, at approximately $312 a year.
| Tax Year 2025 | Tax Year 2026 | Difference | % Increase | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Residential Homestead Appraised Value | $394,375 | $402,489 | 8,114 | 2.02% |
| Homestead Taxable Value with 20% LOHE Reduction | $315,500 | $321,991 | $6,491 | 2.02% |
| Tax Rate/$100 of Value | $0.6241 | $0.6700 | $0.0459 | 6.85% |
| Calculated Tax Bill | $1,969.04 | $2,157.34 | $188.30 | 8.73% |
| Tax Rate/$100 of Value | $0.6241 | $0.6800 | $0.0559 | 8.22% |
| Calculated Tax Bill | $1,969.04 | $2,189.54 | $220.50 | 10.07% |
Prepared by the Office of Senator Paul Bettencourt.
“The public needs to know this HUGE property tax rate hike of 5 or 6 pennies will drive up BOTH commercial and residential taxpayers’ property tax bills. Only 2 percent of the estimated homestead tax bill increase is an appraisal increase on average, as the lion’s share of the either 8.7 percent or 10.1 percent increase is the dramatically higher proposed county tax rate the Commissioners Court will vote on next month. Make your voice be heard…” Senator Bettencourt concluded.
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