Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare1 gave preliminary approval Thursday, August 13th, to a Fiscal Year 2027 budget that sets the county rate at $0.1860 per $100 of valuation and the JPS Hospital District rate at $0.1590. Both sit below the no-new-revenue (NNR) rate, the tax rate that would bring in the same amount of property tax revenue as the previous tax year after taking into account any rise in appraisals. This means property taxes for property owners in Tarrant County are actually going down.2
For the fourth year in a row.
The official recommended budget document3 states the plan will raise $6,378,418 less in property tax revenue than the current year for a 1.19% drop, even after accounting for new property that is projected to be added to the rolls.
Over the past four years the county rate has fallen 17 percent and the hospital rate 29.2 percent.4 Officials put the cumulative taxpayer savings at roughly $1.2 billion.5
O’Hare commented6 in his official statement: “Four years ago, we made a promise to the taxpayers of Tarrant County that we would stop treating their money as ours to spend. This budget is the fourth consecutive year we have kept that promise.”7
Public safety is fully funded. Law enforcement officers receive a 4 percent raise and confinement staff 2.5 percent, continuing step increases that have delivered a 25 percent cumulative boost for officers over four years. Non-sworn employees are eligible for a 3 percent merit-based increase, and reserves sit at the 15 percent policy target.
None of this required gutting core functions. Of course this stands in stark contrast to nearby governments eyeing rate increases to close projected revenue shortfalls. The City of Fort Worth this week is considering a property tax rate hike8 above its no-new-revenue rate, and Tarrant County College has discussed raising its rate as well.9
When desired spending outpaces expected tax revenue, the default response in too many city halls, county courthouses, school districts and other government entities is to raise property taxes or propose new bonds, and hope the taxpayers don’t notice. Tarrant County is proving the opposite is possible with strong leadership that treats taxpayers with the respect and deference they deserve.
Still, county taxes are only one part of a taxpayer’s property tax bill. Cities, school districts, community colleges, and other local taxing entities make up the bulk. O’Hare has endorsed10 Governor Abbott’s broader property tax overhaul plan11 to help deliver more for all property owners around the state.
This type of accountability and leadership is what taxpayers should be fighting for across the state. Four consecutive years of rate cuts below the no-new-revenue threshold is rare in Texas local government. But after years of skyrocketing property tax burdens, it should be the standard.
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- https://x.com/TarrantCoJudge/status/2087969801704472899 ↩︎
- https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article316872810.html ↩︎
- https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/content/dam/main/budget-risk-mgmt/Documents/fy27/FY27_Budget_Hearing_Recommended_Budget_Website.pdf ↩︎
- https://x.com/TarrantCoJudge/status/2087969801704472899 ↩︎
- https://x.com/TimothyOHare/status/2087963310087930288 ↩︎
- https://x.com/TarrantCoJudge/status/2087969801704472899 ↩︎
- https://x.com/bwaltens/status/2087968150897762680?s=20 ↩︎
- https://texastaxpayers.com/fort-worths-budget-shortfall-demands-spending-discipline-not-more-taxes/ ↩︎
- https://www.keranews.org/education/2026-08-10/tcc-hoped-to-rely-less-on-property-taxes-now-its-considering-a-rate-increase ↩︎
- https://x.com/TarrantCoJudge/status/2087969801704472899 ↩︎
- https://texastaxpayers.com/abbott-property-tax-overhaul-has-the-votes-to-pass-the-house/ ↩︎
