Katy and Fulshear homeowners would pay the same Fort Bend County property tax rate under an $841.4 million proposed budget headed to public hearings Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The county's proposed rate of $0.412 per $100 of taxable value is unchanged from the current year. Combined with the Fort Bend County Drainage District rate of $0.010, the total stays at $0.422 per $100, My Neighborhood News reported.

The flat rate does not mean flat revenue. Growth in the county's tax base, which reached roughly $133.2 billion, would generate about $23.3 million more in property tax collections than last year. That is a 4.6% increase, with about $10.2 million coming from new construction added to the rolls.

On a median homestead valued at $290,480, the county tax bill would be roughly $1,197 at the proposed rate. The Drainage District adds about $29.

Where the money goes

The General Fund would rise from about $464.9 million to $530.9 million on paper. County officials say $52 million of that jump is a temporary capital item tied to bond-funded projects expected between September and December. Strip that out, and underlying General Fund spending is about $478.9 million.

The Sheriff's Office enforcement budget would grow 2.6% to roughly $65.2 million. Detention operations would rise 3.5% to about $55.3 million. Fort Bend County EMS would receive roughly $32.3 million, up 1.7%.

Road and bridge spending would climb 7.9% to about $34.8 million. The Drainage District's operating budget would increase 5.4% to $13.7 million, while its debt service would more than double, jumping 115.8% to about $7.2 million.

Behavioral health services would see the largest percentage increase at 56.9%, rising to about $3.2 million. Public transportation would grow 39.7% to roughly $3.6 million.

Proposed cuts include juvenile probation operations, the County Attorney's Office, the Senior Center, Veterans Service and indigent health-care coordination.

Boycott clouds adoption vote

The budget faces a political hurdle. Texas law requires at least four of five Commissioners Court members to be present to formally adopt a tax rate. Only three attended the Aug. 13 session that set the proposed rate: Interim County Judge Daniel Wong and Republican Commissioners Andy Meyers and Vincent Morales.

Democratic Commissioners Dexter McCoy and Grady Prestage have boycotted meetings for months, maintaining that Wong lacks legal authority to serve as county judge, the Fort Bend Independent reported.

Pamela Gubbels, the county's director of finance and investments, clarified at the Aug. 13 meeting that proposing the rate requires fewer members than adopting it. "I would just like to clarify for the record that proposing the tax rate is different than levying the tax rate," Gubbels said.

If a quorum of four does not appear for the Sept. 10 vote, the county would revert to the no-new-revenue rate of about $0.396, costing roughly $21 million in revenue and eliminating a potential 3% employee cost-of-living raise, according to the Fort Bend Independent.

Separately, County Auditor Ed Sturdivant cautioned at an Aug. 4 budget workshop that some capital projects could face delays if the county is unable to complete planned bond financing for mobility, parks and flood-control work.

Harris County contrast

The flat Fort Bend County rate stands in contrast to what Katy-area residents in Harris County face. Harris County's budget office has recommended a combined rate of about 67 cents per $100, a 7.6% increase over last year, to help close a $180 million deficit, the Houston Chronicle reported. Harris County commissioners are scheduled to vote on that rate Tuesday, Sept. 8, according to Community Impact.

Commissioners Court is set to take up the Fort Bend County tax rate and budget for potential adoption Thursday, Sept. 10.