Katy homeowners would pay about $14 more in city property taxes in 2026 under a rate the City Council proposed Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The official notice, posted at Katy City Hall on Sept. 2, sets the proposed 2026 tax rate at $0.420 per $100 of assessed value. That is a half-cent decrease from the current rate of $0.425. But rising property values mean the average homestead tax bill would still climb $13.87, reaching $1,643.75.
A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28, at 6:30 p.m. at Katy City Hall, 901 Ave C. Residents can speak for or against the rate at that hearing or contact council members at their offices beforehand.
Why a lower rate still means higher taxes
The proposed rate sits above the city's no-new-revenue rate of $0.407051. That is the rate that would generate the same total tax revenue as last year's. Because the average homestead taxable value is projected to rise 2.05%, from $383,500 to $391,368, the city would collect more money even at a lower rate.
Citywide, the total property tax levy would increase $567,538, or 2.26%, climbing from $25.16 million to $25.73 million.
The rate remains well below the voter-approval threshold of $0.443092. Had the council proposed a rate above that line, voters would have had to approve it at the ballot box.
Council vote and what's next
Five council members voted in favor of proposing the rate: Mayor Pro Tem Gina Hicks, Johnston Dietz, Paul Follis, Michael Miehls and Paula Taylor. No one voted against it. Mayor Dusty Thiele was present but did not vote.
City Secretary Becky L. McGrew certified the notice.
According to Community Impact, the council is also scheduled to hold a separate public hearing on the proposed city budget on Monday, Sept. 14. The council could adopt the budget that night or wait until the Sept. 28 meeting to approve both the budget and the tax rate together.
The official notice includes no individual statements from council members about the rate. Residents with questions about their property values can reach the Fort Bend County tax assessor's office at 281-341-3710 or [email protected].
