by Nicole Bradford
Adopted in late September, the Brazoria County tax rate fell to 30.3 cents per $100 of taxable value for the coming year, down more than a penny from the prior year.
For residents with rising property values, the county rate remains more or less flat since the new rate equals the no-new-revenue rate, which raises the same amount from the same properties taxed the year before.
Still, residents, particularly seniors, are struggling with tax bills, one Pearland resident told commissioners during the public forum.
“When I bought this house in Pearland, I paid $700 a year,” a working 71-year-old told commissioners during the public forum. “Right now, I’m paying $9,000 a year — I’m still working at 71. I make decent money, but I can’t afford to quit.”
Over the past decade, the Brazoria County tax rate has fallen by nearly 40 percent, typically staying right at the no new revenue rate.
“In 10 years, we’ve dropped the tax rate almost 20 cents,” County Judge Matt Sebesta said. “We’ve done our part here at the county for our small portion of the tax bill. If you look at your tax bill and work out the percentages, you’ll see where most of the money goes. We’re generally 15 or 16 percent of a person’s total tax bill.”
The county budget for the new fiscal year included cost of living raises of approximately 3 percent in addition to step increases for eligible employees, as well as 36 new positions.
Most of the new positions are law enforcement, the county reported, but eight are tied to a new district court expected to be assigned by the state next fall.
