Texas voters have spoken, and the results from the November 5, 2024, general election have significant implications for property owners across the state. With rising property taxes and evolving local regulations, the latest round of property tax-related bills reflects the ongoing effort to balance fair tax assessment with community needs.
Whether you're a homeowner trying to understand changes in your annual tax bill or a business owner looking at shifts in commercial property rates, these updates can directly impact your financial planning and property decisions.
This article:
- Breaks down each property tax bill that passed or failed and its implications.
- Is organized by county, city, and school district, making it easy to find the changes that affect you.
Keep reading to stay informed about the new budgets, laws, or bonds passed and what they could mean for your bottom line in 2025.
Key Takeaways
Of the 30 property-tax-related bills in the November election and fall budgets, 14 passed. These results show how split Texans are on property taxes and how they’re used.
Urban vs rural:
Overall, there wasn’t a tidy correlation between rural and urban areas passing or rejecting tax bills that would increase property taxes. Instead, we witness more on a case-by-case basis.
For instance, Harris County, which houses the city of Houston, passed local infrastructure bills but were split on local school districts’ property tax increases.
Similarly, some rural voters rejected tax increases intended to fund local school districts like Blanco and Liberty, while other rural areas, like Beaumont, approved school-focused tax increases.
Impact and meaning:
This difference in local voting outcomes highlights the diverse needs of Texas communities and their need to be well-informed of these proposed property taxes’ impact on their communities and taxes.
Across Texas, counties and school districts must continue educating their voter base on these property tax bills and carefully balance investing in infrastructure and education and fiscal restraint.
Now, let’s get into how these local elections played out!
Bexar County
San Antonio
East Central ISD Proposition A: Failed by an average of 56%.
Voters rejected all four East Central ISD propositions on this November's ballot. Together, these equated to over $366.45 million in funds for new school construction, renovations to school stadiums, and outdoor recreational facilities. These bonds would've cost homeowners an average home value of $280,000 and $31.5 more monthly in taxes.
The closest vote was for the ad valorem tax rate of 9.33 cents per $100 valuation for East Central ISD at 52.6% for and 47.4% against. However, this will affect the district's deficit. According to Brandon Oliver, the Director of Marketing and Communications for East Central ISD, the deficit will now be nearly $9 million. If Prop A had passed, it would've brought it down to $2 million.
Blanco County
Blanco
Blanco ISD Voter Approval Tax Rate: Failed by 54%
This proposition would have added an ad valorem tax of $0.8119 in Blanco ISD, increasing the school district's maintenance and operations (M&O) tax revenue by 2.596%, resulting in an estimated $404,524. Since it failed, the Blanco ISD tax rate will remain the same.
Brazoria County
Alvin
Alvin ISD Proposition A: Passed by 61%
The proposition authorizes the school district to issue bonds totaling over $380 million for various purposes. Close to $368 million will go towards constructing and renovating school facilities and purchasing technology. The remaining $14 million will go towards improving safety and security measures.
The goal is to enhance educational infrastructure and support student learning. The bonds' funding would be repaid through property taxes over time.
The total projects from the 2018 bond saving is $395,075,298, while the 2024 bond would be nearly a $15 million reduction, resulting in a $0.02 reduction in the tax rate. This would reduce the property tax rate from 2023-2024 ($1.1923) to $1.17.
Dallas County
Coppell
Coppell ISD, Proposition A: Failed by 54%
Voters rejected the Voter Approval Taxpayer Ratification Election (VATRE) bond to increase the Coppell ISD maintenance and operation (M&O) tax rate by 3.17 cents per $100 valuation. This would have generated an additional $2.4 million in funding for this district's employee salaries, supplies, utilities, and bus repairs.
Highland Park
Highland Park ISD, Proposition A: Passed by 68%
Highland Park voters strongly approved the $137.3 million ($214 million with interest) bond proposal on November 5, 2024. However, the bill did not pass without controversy. Taxpayers in Highland Park called the language "misleading," as it suggested the bond would not raise property taxes.
However, district officials estimate that the $214 million bond will cost taxpayers 56% more than expected due to the interest costs not stated on the proposal.
Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale ISD, Proposition A (Passed by 67%), Proposition B (Passed by 65%), Proposition C (Passed by 66%):
Voters passed all the school district propositions. Together, they equate to $94.9 million and will help pay for:
- School building upgrades, parking and traffic control, and buses ($77,895,000)
- A new student activity center ($16,945,000)
- Storm and track repairs to Raider Stadium ($900,000)
El Paso County
El Paso
El Paso passed a $396.6 million University Medical Center of El Paso bond on Tuesday, with 65% in favor. The bond includes $30 million for the comprehensive cancer center, which is set to begin construction in January 2025 and open in 2026.
The other two significant bonds approved were to establish the county's first animal shelter (64%) and a proposition to upgrade Ascarate Park and other county parks.
The passed bond projects will result in a $29 increase in annual property taxes on a $200,000 home. According to our El Paso County data, the average assessed value of El Paso County was $183,860 in 2024.
Harris County
There were over 60 propositions on the Harris County ballot for the November 5 general and special elections. A major one was Proposition A for the Harris County Flood Control District. The proposed increase in the tax rate of $0.04897 per $100 valuation is designed to fund the ongoing maintenance of the district's flood risk reduction infrastructure.
Since it passed by a close margin of 51.35%, there's an increase of 1.581 cents per $100 valuation, increasing the current rate from 3.12 cents to 4.89 cents per $100. This adds an additional $113 million in property tax revenue for the area's flood-related infrastructure; $7.7 million will be raised from new properties added to the tax role.
According to the Harris County Office of Management and Budget, Harris County homeowners will see a $60 increase on their property tax bill.
Alief ISD
Alief ISD, Proposition A: Passed by 51%
The Alief ISD proposition results in the district receiving $11.3 million more in local funding annually and $4.1 million in additional state funding for staff salaries and daily operations ($15.4 million total). This ratifies an ad valorem property tax rate of 1.0476 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation.
Houston ISD
Houston ISD, Proposition A: Failed by 58%
This proposition would have approved issuing $3.96 billion in bonds to address the district's infrastructure needs.
Houston ISD, Proposition B: Failed by 58%.
Proposition B would have funded the district's technology infrastructure at a cost of $440 million. Since Houston ISD Prop A and B failed, no bond-related property tax increase will occur for Houston ISD.
Spring ISD
Spring ISD, Proposition A: Voters have rejected the proposition by 64%. It would have ratified an ad valorem tax of 1.1569 cents per $100, or $16,206,483 in revenue, to support the district's maintenance and operations budget.
With the failure to pass Proposition A, Spring ISD will implore the state to increase public school funding and will look to operate within its current financial plan.
Waller ISD
Waller ISD Proposition A: Passed by 58%
Voters approved issuing $702 million ($1.32 billion with interest) bonds to construct two new elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. However, the property tax rate will not increase. This is due to the area's dramatic population growth in recent years, which allows for the current tax rate to fund the project.
Waller ISD Proposition B: Failed by 54%
Voters opposed the $11 million bond designated for the district's acquisition, installation, and updating of technology equipment.
Hays County
Hays County Proposition A: Passed by 56%
Hays County voters approved Proposition A by nearly 56%. The proposition is a road bond that called for $439 million to work on the maintenance, construction, and operation of 27 county road projects.
This resulted in a two-cent increase per $100 valuation to the county's property tax rate, resulting in an annual increase of around $80 for a $400,000 home.
Hill County
The Hill County Commissioners Court approved a budget and tax rate on Tuesday, August 27, for the fiscal year that began on October 1, 2024.
The adopted total tax rate is 4.525 cents per $100. The property tax rate is 4.059 cents per $100 valuation, a three-cent reduction from last year's rate. However, the county expects to bring in nearly 6%, or $1,002,013, more property tax revenue from new properties added to the tax rolls this year.
Hunt County
On September 27, 2024, the Hunt County Commissioners Court settled on cutting taxes more than $3.22 million from the budget. They adopted a no-new revenue property tax rate of 3.23 cents per $100 valuation, another decrease from 3.36 cents in 2023 to 3.55 cents in 2024.
Jefferson County
Beaumont
In Jefferson County, Beaumont ISD voters approved a tax rate, with 55.81% voting in favor. The ad valorem tax rate will add 9.65 cents per $100 valuation to Beaumont ISD and will generate $13 million to raise teachers' and staff's salaries and increase maintenance and operations. This is a 14.3% increase in revenue compared to last year.
Liberty County
Tarkington ISD
Voters rejected an $80 million bond for Takington ISD in Liberty County by 53%. The bond was meant for renovations to schools at every grade level and would've resulted in a tax rate increase of 10 cents, bringing the Takington ISD tax rate to $1.0325. This keeps the current Tarkington ISD tax rate at $0.9302.
Montgomery County
The Montgomery County commissioners voted and approved the fiscal year 2024-25 budget and tax rate on September 6, 2024. This results in an approved tax rate of $0.3790 per $100 valuation, an 8.91% increase from $0.3452.
The county identified around $9.5 million in additional funds needed above the current $457 million base budget, including a $6.18 million cost-of-living increase, $2.28 million for 11 new constable deputies, and $321,638 for technology upgrades.
Rockwall County
Rockwall ISD
Rockwall voters rejected multiple school funding proposals on Tuesday. The first is an $850 million bond ($1.5 billion with interest) to raise Rockwall ISD teachers and improve infrastructure.
Rockwall ISD also proposed a 12-cent increase in property tax rates, which would have triggered a mandatory voter approval tax ratification election (VATRE) and increased Rockwallians' property tax rates by 25%.
Tarrant County
Argyle
Argyle ISD VATRE Proposition: Failed by 57%
The VATRE proposition would've ratified an ad valorem tax rate of $1.2869 per $100 valuation, an increased rate of $0.7869 or 10.4% for the district's maintenance and operations tax revenue. Since it failed, the current Argyle ISD tax rate will be $0.7099.
Birdville ISD
Birdville ISD Proposition A: Failed by 53%
The bond would've issued $48 million to the district for constructing and improving multipurpose indoor facilities at each high school. This bond was actually a scaled-down version of a $59 million proposal rejected in 2022. Thus, the Birdsville ISD tax rate remains unchanged.
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Proposition A: Passed by 58%
Voters passed this proposition, ratifying an ad valorem tax rate of 9.23 cents per $100 valuation in the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. The rate results in a 1.08% increase in the district's maintenance and operations tax revenue.
It's a bit confusing, but if the M&O rate wasn't approved, the tax rate would actually go down resulting in approximately $6 million less in revenue.
Since it did pass, the difference in tax collections from the $0.7290 M&O rate to the new $0.7369 (three cents) equates to $1,513,042 in additional revenue.
Northwest ISD
Northwest ISD Proposition A: Failed by 56%
In Northwest ISD, voters chose not to ratify an ad valorem tax rate of $1.1179 per $100 valuation. If passed, this would have resulted in a 4.29% increase in M&O tax or an additional $13,849,486. It would have equated to an average annual increase of $120 on a home valued at $500,000.
Travis County
Travis County Proposition A: Passed by 59%
Travis County voters passed Proposition A with nearly 60% of voters' support. This will result in a 2.5 cent property tax hike per $100. On average, it will cost households an annual increase of $125 or $10.40 a month. The estimated $75 million in the first year alone will go toward 1,900 childcare slots for babies and toddlers of low-income households and 3,900 afterschool and summer activity slots for elementary-stage students.
Austin
Austin ISD Proposition A: Passed by 58%
Austinites voted to increase the tax rate from $0.8595 to $0.9505, or 9.1 cents per $100 difference. According to the district, a home worth $553,000 will pay $408 more in yearly property taxes.
Austin ISD estimates the tax rate increase would generate $171 million in new revenue. However, the district would only keep around 25% or $41 million, while $130 million would go to the state due to a funding system called recapture or "Robin Hood," which caps the revenue school districts can keep per student.
Of the $41 million, $17.8 million will go to salary adjustments and $20 million to replenish the district's savings and reduce the deficit of $119 for the 2024-2025 school year.
How Ownwell Helps You Save
Navigating these recent property tax laws and rate changes can be overwhelming, particularly when they directly impact your finances.
If you're a property owner in Texas, remember that you don’t have to accept your new tax rate as final!
Ownwell can protest your property taxes for you, potentially reducing your annual burden. On average, 86% receive a reduction, and we save homeowners $1,148.
If you’re a commercial real estate owner, on average, we save our clients 31% more than our competitors do.
Enter your address here to see how much Ownwell can save you on property taxes and reduce your monthly bills like cable, internet, and telephone!
