Unlike many of the municipalities in the county, the Orange County Commissioners Court has chosen to not raise taxes next year. Despite lower property values and increased expenses in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey last year the county tax rate will remain at 54.2 cents per 100 dollars value.
County Judge Dean Crooks explained his thinking of why he did not want to increase the tax rate and to instead use funds from the county’s reserve fund was that if raising taxes causes citizens to move out of the county it does matter what the tax rate is there will not be any taxes collected.
He added the county has worked up the reserve for a rainy day and post Harvey definitely qualifies. “We want to continue providing the citizens the services they’ve come to expect,” Crooks said.
The Commissioners Court will hold two public hearings on the tax rate in September. The first will be on Tuesday, September 11, at 6:00 PM, and the second will be Friday, September 14, at 9:00 AM. Both hearings will be in the Commissioners Courtroom of the Administration Building.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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