Houston Mayor John Whitmire pledged Wednesday not to raise the city's property tax rate, a day after Harris County commissioners approved the highest county rate in modern history to help close a budget deficit.
Whitmire repeatedly has touted that he has navigated significant budget shortfalls without raising taxes, even taking the rare step this year of creating new revenue – a $5 monthly residential trash fee – as part of a broader budget restructuring that moved the solid waste department into the city utility system within Houston Public Works.
Divided Harris County Commissioners Court approves highest property tax rate in modern history
Whitmire's commitment came as the county's decision drew criticism from Republicans and County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, who voted against the increase. The mayor presented Houston's unchanged rate as evidence of fiscal discipline despite the city's long-term budget pressures.
"We're doing everything humanly possible to not raise property taxes," Whitmire said.
Whitmire said property taxes hurt homeowners and renters, whose landlords pass rising taxes on to them.
The mayor called the county's tax rate a "tough decision" while touting his relationship with state lawmakers, which he said allowed Houston to receive funding for Hurricane Beryl debris removal instead of raising taxes in 2024.
"The law would have allowed us to raise property taxes," Whitmire said. "So I went to the leadership in Austin ... and they gave us about $35 million for debris pickup."
That year, some city council members pushed unsuccessfully for a higher tax rate, citing the city's ongoing budget woes.
Houston's property tax rate has fallen since hitting a high of 66.5 cents in 1995.
The main driver of those declines has been the city's voter-approved property tax limitation, which since 2014 often has forced the council to cut the tax rate each fall as property values rise to avoid collecting more property taxes than the cap allows.
Critics warn Mayor John Whitmire's budget could strain Houston water-sewer system for years to come
Although Controller Chris Hollins said he expects the city's property-tax rate to remain unchanged this fall, he argued the Whitmire administration is raising revenue in other ways.
The city's new $5 monthly garbage fee, he said, places a greater burden on lower-income residents than raising the same revenue via property taxes would.
"While I'm pretty sure the property tax rate won't increase, he's taxing folks with his garbage fee," Hollins said. "It's a regressive tax where poor people are going to pay three times as much as they otherwise would."
On the possibility of future rate increases, Hollins said, "The math is the math."
"Either costs are going to have to come down or revenues are going to have to come up," Hollins said. "And property taxes are a meaningful revenue lever."
City council is expected to set the city's tax rate next month.
There's more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at Houston Mayor John Whitmire pledges not to raise property taxes despite long-term financial pressure.