Upshur County residents saw varied adjustments to tax rates and valuations among local taxing entities between 2019 and 2022.
Averaged out, the changes were a push, but some institutions are lowering rates to ease burdens on taxpayers while others are issuing increases.
This look at Upshur County taxes is part of ongoing coverage of local taxes. To complete this look at all 254 counties, we collected taxing information from 2019 to 2022, pulling tax rates and average taxable values.
Four taxing entities in Upshur County raised their tax rates between 2019 and 2022, including the cities of Big Sandy and Ore City, as well as the Ore City Independent School District. Ore City and OCISD increased by a penny; Big Sandy added an extra penny for good measure.
In the case of Ore City ISD, that penny increase was paired with a drop in average taxable values, meaning taxpayers actually saw a decrease in their bills.
The same could not be said for either Big Sandy or Ore City. Increasing valuations paired with tax rate increases lead each to have the first and second highest percent increases in tax in the county at 15 percent and 16 percent, respectively.
Only one entity, Kilgore Junior College, maintained a consistent tax rate over the three years observed. Most taxpayers in Texas cannot take predictability like that for granted from a taxing entity.
Several taxing entities reduced their tax rates, including Upshur County and the cities of Gilmer and Gladewater. However, taxes increased for all three of these government bodies by 10.94 percent, 5.04 percent, and 11.08 percent due to ever-increasing taxable valuations.
In 2018, voters passed a bond measure floated by Gilmer ISD totaling $35,250,000 to build a new high school. Only 55 percent of voters approved the measure. Since 2019, the district has reduced its tax rate, leading to a lower average tax bill.
Union Hill and Big Sandy ISD, thanks to drastically reduced tax rates and valuations, saw taxes decrease.
The tax rate adjustments indicate a push to balance the need for essential services with fiscal prudence, especially as entities like the City of Gilmer and Union Hill ISD prioritized lowering their tax rates despite higher taxable valuations.
Upshur County’s efforts to adjust rates showcase a commitment to responsible governance, highlighting the diversity in approaches to taxation across its cities, districts, and services.
From now until tax day in 2025, Texas Scorecard will report on counties across the state, highlighting local officials working to lighten, or at the very least not add to, property taxpayers’ burdens.
Conversely, public servants who have added to taxpayers’ already burdensome load will also be scrutinized.
