Tax Rates

The Official Tax Rate

Each tax year local government officials, such as City Council Members, School Board Members, and Commissioner's Court, examine the taxing units' needs for operating budgets and debt repayment in relation to the total taxable value of properties located in the jurisdiction.  Taxing unit officials must adhere to specific procedures established in Truth and Taxation Laws when they adopt tax rates; the process used is dependent on benchmark rates known as the effective tax rate and the rollback rate.

The rates are adopted by the governing bodies of the taxing jurisdictions and forwarded to the Tax Assessor-Collector.  These tax rates are then applied to the values (less any exemptions) certified by the Chief Appraiser on the unit's appraisal roll to calculate the levy (tax) for the year.  Tax statements containing the individual calculation for each account are then mailed to the owner or their agent for payment.