In a refreshing move from the norm of most politicians, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says property owners may be due a property tax break.
“I would love to look at a tax-rate adjustment,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings at last week’s council meeting.
Rawlings is hoping he has enough support to lower the tax rate, because higher taxable values could mean the city collects more revenue than it needs.
“We want to take as little money away from them and give them the services they want,” Rawlings said. “And that’s what these 15 people are going to try to do in the next three months.”
It’s a move realtors would like.
I think the Mayor meant to say “and STILL give them the services they want.” Because it seems that every time we turn around, the City has no money for this or for that. Also seems like they are not doing their due diligence on some deals, like awarding that 7 year, $450 million electricity contract to TXU Energy. So much didn’t pass the sniff test there:
– inadequate time for Council members to reflect and research options.
-prepayment for 5 years of service for measly $1 million prepayment discount on a $450 million deal.
– no competitive bids were sought.
– principals of the City’s energy advisory firm are former execs with TXU, how cozy
– TXU’s parent is in bankruptcy after massive loan defaults.
– 6 City Council members were in their last vote before term-limit-forced exits.
So yeah, I think it’s pretty cruddy our City Council pulls this, says we’re broke, and reaps a 75% increase in property taxes because our values are up. Give us our money back!
Dallas, well, Texas, property tax rates are among the highest in the nation. Of course we don’t have a state income tax, so many just pass off a 2.74% per $1000 accessed value as, oh well, a necessary evil since we have no state income tax.
And then our values are going up, 8.8% in April 2015 over April 2014, so in essence, Dallas county is getting a huge property tax RAISE.
And we are paying for it. Did you property values go up? Are you paying more in taxes?
Rawlings is smart to know that unless we lower the tax rate to at least match what other communities are offering, Dallas will continue to lose as home buyers pick Lucas (2.09%) or Lewisville (2.19%) IF they can:
| tax rates | taxing jurisdictions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| combined | city | school | county | city | school | county | ||
| Addison | 2.51% | .56% | 1.28% | .66% | Addison | Dallas ISD | Dallas | |
| Allen | 2.50% | .54% | 1.64% | .32% | Anna | Anna ISD | Collin | |
| Anna | 2.51% | .65% | 1.54% | .32% | Allen | Allen ISD | Collin | |
| Argyle | 2.24% | .40% | 1.57% | .27% | Argyle | Argyle ISD | Denton | |
| Arlington | 2.64% | .65% | 1.35% | .64% | Arlington | Arlington ISD | Tarrant | |
| Azle | 2.51% | .67% | 1.20% | .64% | Azle | Azle ISD | Tarrant | |
| Balch Springs | 2.88% | .80% | 1.41% | .66% | Balch Springs | Mesquite ISD | Dallas | |
| Bartonville | 2.04% | .19% | 1.57% | .27% | Bartonville | Argyle ISD | Denton | |
| Bedford | 2.51% | .49% | 1.38% | .64% | Bedford | Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD | Tarrant | |
| Benbrook | 2.62% | .66% | 1.32% | .64% | Benbrook | Fort Worth ISD | Tarrant | |
| Burleson | 2.92% | .74% | 1.54% | .64% | Burleson | Burleson ISD | Tarrant | |
| Carrollton | 2.58% | .62% | 1.30% | .66% | Carrollton | Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD | Dallas | |
| Cedar Hill | 2.89% | .70% | 1.53% | .66% | Cedar Hill | Cedar Hill ISD | Dallas | |
| Celina | 2.60% | .65% | 1.64% | .32% | Celina | Celina ISD | Collin | |
| Cockrell Hill | 2.76% | .81% | 1.28% | .66% | Cockrell Hill | Dallas ISD | Dallas | |
| Colleyville | 2.32% | .36% | 1.32% | .64% | Colleyville | Grapevine-Colleyville ISD | Tarrant | |
| Coppell | 2.72% | .61% | 1.45% | .66% | Coppell | Coppell ISD | Dallas | |
| Copper Canyon | 2.56% | .30% | 1.48% | .27% | Copper Canyon | Lewisville ISD | Denton | |
| Corinth | 2.54% | .59% | 1.67% | .27% | Corinth1 | Lake Dallas ISD | Denton | |
| Crowley | 2.99% | .70% | 1.65% | .64% | Crowley | Crowley ISD | Tarrant | |
| Dallas | 2.74% | .80% | 1.28% | .66% | Dallas | Dallas ISD | Dallas | |
| Dalworthington Gardens | 2.25% | .26% | 1.35% | .64% | Dalworthington Gardens | Arlington ISD | Tarrant | |
| Denton | 2.50% | .69% | 1.54% | .29% | Denton | Denton ISD | Denton | |
| DeSoto | 2.89% | .76% | 1.47% | .66% | DeSoto | DeSoto ISD | Dallas | |
| Double Oak | 1.97% | .22% | 1.48% | .27% | Double Oak | Lewisville ISD | Denton | |
| Duncanville | 2.83% | .76% | 1.41% | .66% | Duncanville | Duncanville ISD | Dallas | |
| Euless | 2.48% | .47% | 1.38% | .64% | Euless | Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD | Tarrant | |
| Fairview | 2.24% | .36% | 1.56% | .32% | Fairview | Lovejoy ISD | Collin | |
| Farmers Branch | 2.57% | .60% | 1.30% | .66% | Farmers Branch | Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD | Dallas | |
| Flower Mound | 2.19% | .44% | 1.48% | .27% | Flower Mound | Lewisville ISD | Denton | |
| Fort Worth | 2.82% | .86% | 1.32% | .64% | Fort Worth | Fort Worth ISD | Tarrant | |
| Frisco | 2.24% | .46% | 1.46% | .32% | Frisco | Frisco ISD | Collin | |
| Garland | 2.62% | .70% | 1.25% | .66% | Garland | Garland ISD | Dallas | |
| Glenn Heights | 2.93% | .80% | 1.47% | .66% | Glenn Heights | DeSoto ISD | Dallas | |
| Grand Prairie | 2.80% | .67% | 1.47% | .66% | Grand Prairie | Grand Prairie ISD | Dallas | |
| Grapevine | 2.29% | .33% | 1.32% | .64% | Grapevine | Grapevine-Colleyville ISD | Tarrant | |
| Haltom City | 2.78% | .70% | 1.44% | .64% | Haltom City | Birdville ISD | Tarrant | |
| Heath | 2.26% | .43% | 1.44% | .40% | Rockwall | Rockwall ISD | Rockwall | |
| Hickory Creek | 2.34% | .40% | 1.67% | .27% | Hickory Creek | Lake Dallas ISD | Denton | |
| Highland Park | 2.00% | .22% | 1.12% | .66% | Highland Park | Highland Park ISD | Dallas | |
| Highland Village | 2.32% | .57% | 1.48% | .27% | Highland Village | Lewisville ISD | Denton | |
| Hurst | 2.62% | .61% | 1.38% | .64% | Hurst | Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD | Tarrant | |
| Irving | 2.69% | .59% | 1.44% | .66% | Irving | Irving ISD | Dallas | |
| Keller | 2.62% | .44% | 1.54% | .64% | Keller | Keller ISD | Tarrant | |
| Lake Dallas | 2.64% | .70% | 1.67% | .27% | Lake Dallas | Lake Dallas ISD | Denton | |
| Lancaster | 2.90% | .87% | 1.37% | .66% | Lancaster | Lancaster ISD | Dallas | |
| Lewisville | 2.19% | .44% | 1.48% | .27% | Lewisville | Lewisville ISD | Denton | |
| Little Elm | 2.48% | .66% | 1.54% | .27% | Little Elm | Little Elm ISD | Denton | |
| Lucas | 2.09% | .32% | 1.45% | .32% | Lucas | Plano ISD | Collin | |
| Mansfield | 2.88% | .71% | 1.53% | .64% | Mansfield | Mansfield ISD | Tarrant | |
| McKinney | 2.57% | .58% | 1.67% | .32% | McKinney | McKinney ISD | Collin | |
| Melissa | 2.47% | .61% | 1.54% | .32% | Melissa | Melissa ISD | Collin | |
| Mesquite | 2.71% | .64% | 1.41% | .66% | Mesquite | Mesquite ISD | Dallas | |
| Murphy | 2.31% | .55% | 1.45% | .32% | Murphy | Plano ISD | Collin | |
| N Richland Hills | 2.69% | .61% | 1.44% | .64% | N Richland Hills | Birdville ISD | Tarrant | |
| Parker | 2.12% | .35% | 1.45% | .32% | Parker | Plano ISD | Collin | |
| Plano | 2.25% | .49% | 1.45% | .32% | Plano | Plano ISD | Collin | |
| Prosper | 2.51% | .52% | 1.67% | .32% | Prosper | Prosper ISD | Collin | |
| Richardson | 2.64% | .64% | 1.34% | .66% | Richardson | Richardson ISD | Dallas | |
| Richland Hills | 2.60% | .53% | 1.44% | .64% | Richland Hills | Birdville ISD | Tarrant | |
| River Oaks | 2.89% | .85% | 1.40% | .64% | River Oaks | Castleberry ISD | Tarrant | |
| Roanoke | 2.10% | .38% | 1.45% | .27% | Roanoke | Northwest ISD | Denton | |
| Rockwall | 2.33% | .50% | 1.44% | .40% | Rockwall | Rockwall ISD | Rockwall | |
| Rowlett | 2.70% | .79% | 1.25% | .66% | Rowlett | Garland ISD | Dallas | |
| Sachse | 2.69% | .77% | 1.25% | .66% | Sachse | Garland ISD | Dallas | |
| Saginaw | 2.69% | .51% | 1.54% | .64% | Saginaw | Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD | Tarrant | |
| Southlake | 2.50% | .46% | 1.40% | .64% | Southlake | Carroll ISD | Tarrant | |
| Sunnyvale | 2.48% | .41% | 1.41% | .66% | Sunnyvale | Sunnyvale ISD | Dallas | |
| The Colony | 2.42% | .67% | 1.48% | .27% | The Colony | Lewisville ISD | Denton | |
| Trophy Club | 2.77% | .91% | 1.45% | .27% | Trophy Club1 | Northwest ISD | Denton | |
| University Park | 2.05% | .27% | 1.12% | .66% | University Park | Highland Park ISD | Dallas | |
| Watauga | 2.67% | .59% | 1.44% | .64% | Watauga | Birdville ISD | Tarrant | |
| Westlake | 2.20% | .16% | 1.40% | .64% | Westlake | Carroll ISD | Tarrant | |
| Wylie | 2.84% | .88% | 1.64% | .32% | Wylie | Wylie ISD | Collin | |
| 1 City property tax rate includes Public Improvement District (PID) tax. | ||||||||
| Note: The property tax rates shown above may vary depending on both which entities have taxing authority in the area where a property is located and the exemption(s) for which the owner of a property qualifies. | ||||||||
| Sources: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Rockwall and Tarrant Central Appraisal Districts. | ||||||||
