City of Arlington officials have proposed a property tax rate that would increase the average homeowners’ tax bills from the city almost 9 percent from last year, and just shy of 53 percent from six years ago, to $973.

Data from the Tarrant Appraisal District shows that from 2013-2018, the average homeowners’ tax bills from the city increased over 40 percent, from $636 to $892. And the proposed tax rate, $0.624 per $100 valuation, is significantly above their “effective” tax rate, $0.580544 per $100 valuation.

The effective tax rate, also called the “no-new-revenue” rate, adjusts as property values change to keep taxpayers’ bills more or less the same from one year to the next, in the aggregate, though individual results vary based on valuations and exemptions.

Texas’ Truth in Taxation laws require taxing entities to calculate and publish their effective rate each year to ensure the public is informed of any property tax increases because year-over-year rate comparisons are meaningless as they don’t account for changing property values.

Taxpayers still have a chance to make their voices heard to their city council.

A public hearing on the property tax rate will be held September 5 at 6:30 p.m., and a public hearing on the budget will be held September 10 at 6:30 p.m. City council will vote to approve the budget and tax rate on September 19 at 6:30 p.m. All meetings will be at the Arlington Municipal Building, 101 W. Abram Street, Arlington, Texas, 76010.

Robert Montoya

Born in Houston, Robert Montoya is an investigative reporter for Texas Scorecard. He believes transparency is the obligation of government.

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