Early votes show narrow support for Harris County Flood Control District's proposed tax rate rise
Harris County Flood Control District tax rate election results
HOUSTON, Texas -- Posted 7:30 p.m., Nov. 5
Early voting results show voters narrowly support Harris County Flood Control District's Proposition A, which would increase the district's property tax rate for fiscal year 2024-25, if approved.
What you need to know
HCFCD officials are proposing to increase the district's property tax rate from $0.03105 in FY 2023-24 to $0.04897 in FY 2024-25. If approved, an additional $113 million in property tax revenue would go into a dedicated maintenance fund supporting critical maintenance projects, staffing needs and new resident-focused communication initiatives, as previously reported by Community Impact.
According to early and absentee voting results reported by the Harris County Clerk's Office, HCFCD's Proposition A has received 575,961 votes in favor and 548,517 votes in opposition.
The impact
If voters approve the proposed tax rate increase, average Harris County homeowners with a $379,030 home and a homestead exemption would see a $60 increase per year in annual taxes, according to the county's Office of Management and Budget.
Some context
A tax rate election is triggered if the proposed tax rate is higher than the voter-approval rate, which is the highest rate that can be set before a taxing entity must seek voter approval for the rate. As previously reported by Community Impact, because HCFCD's proposed tax rate of $0.04897 is $0.01581 higher than the district's voter-approval rate of $0.38529, the measure was brought to Harris County voters in the Nov. 5 general election.
The HCFCD held a series of in-person and virtual open houses throughout September and October to inform residents about the proposed tax rate increase.
Stay tuned
This article will be updated as more Election Day vote totals are released. All results are unofficial until canvassed.
This article comes from our ABC13 partners at Community Impact Newspapers
