A Harris County Judge's push to put a 1-cent property tax increase on the November ballot for early childhood programs failed Thursday, Aug. 6, when no commissioner would second her motion at Commissioners Court.

The proposal would have cost the average Harris County homeowner about $26 a year and generated an estimated $66.6 million annually for child care subsidies, according to KPRC. For Katy residents whose homes fall within Harris County, where the median home value sits at $308,209 and the median annual tax bill already tops $4,991, the increase would have added a similar amount.

It's the second straight year the measure has died without a vote.

"All people want to talk about now is affordability," Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey said at the meeting. "For us to be considering a significant tax increase this year would be not listening to the folks that are out there."

Even Commissioner Rodney Ellis, described as Hidalgo's closest ally on the court, declined to second the motion. Ellis said skyrocketing childcare prices should be addressed by state or federal governments, not the county.

Hidalgo framed the proposal as a question of voter choice, not a unilateral tax hike. She said she was sorry the court would not let voters decide whether they wanted more affordable childcare.

What's at stake

The county's Early REACH program, launched in June 2023 with federal ARPA dollars, provides between 800 and 1,000 free child care slots for children ages 0 to 4 in economically vulnerable neighborhoods. Harris County directed about $150 million of its $1 billion in federal COVID relief funds toward early childhood initiatives, according to Hoodline.

That federal funding expires Sept. 30.

Hidalgo said the court's refusal to act in 2025 means the program will pause at the end of 2026, with the county needing roughly a year to generate enough revenue to restart it in 2028, the Houston Chronicle reported.

More than 30,000 families are on a waitlist for subsidized child care in Harris County, according to Hidalgo. A Texas Workforce Commission fact sheet puts the figure higher: more than 90,000 children.

Budget backdrop

Harris County faces a $130 million deficit for the coming budget year. Ramsey noted that even without Hidalgo's proposed increase, the county will likely raise its tax rates more this year than in any other recent year.

Commissioners Lesley Briones and Adrian Garcia have been developing an alternative approach: gathering organizations to discuss childcare issues and partnering with the University of Houston to provide business development support to childcare providers. They plan to present that strategy to the Texas Legislature in January.

The Early REACH program's federal grant period ends Sept. 30. No future vote or ballot deadline has been announced.