News from League City & Harris County
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LEAGUE CITY Seniors may see some savings on their tax bills to League City this year, and council members are trying to ensure younger families feel some relief, too. What you need to know: On July 25, League City City Council voted in favor of increasing the homestead exemption for those age 65 and older from $45,000 to $75,000. The original proposal was to increase it to $60,000, but council members agreed to raise it higher. A homestead exemption withholds value from a resident’s primary residence when calculating property tax bills. Zooming in: Council Member John Bowen said he supports increasing the exemption but also wants a matching cut from the proposed fiscal year 2023-24 budget so the burden isn’t shifted to younger residents. If the city were to increase the exemption for seniors but not reduce the budget by the amount League City increases homestead exemption for seniors BY JAKE MAGEE
SAVING SENIORS CENTS The homestead exemption for League City seniors has increased from $45,000 to $75,000. This amount will be withheld from property values when calculating city tax bills.
Old homestead exemption
$45,000
Proposed homestead exemption
$60,000
Approved homestead exemption
$75,000
SOURCE: CITY OF LEAGUE CITY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
the exemption will reduce the city’s revenue, that revenue would have to come from someone else, such as other residents. What they’re saying: Council Mem- ber Chad Tressler supported reducing the homestead exemption but said it was “largely pandering.” Seniors already have their property tax bills frozen so the homestead reduction for seniors would help those new to the city and those who move around, not those who are established and have roots in the city, Tressler said. Mayor Nick Long disagreed. The $400,000-$500,000 the relatively small population of seniors would save is not insignificant, he said.
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Harris County considering affordable housing tax exemption policy
BY MELISSA ENAJE
to working families and seniors who are really in need,” she said. How we got here: In April, com- missioners directed several county departments, including the Commu- nity Services Department, to establish a policy related to the approval of tax exemptions for certain low-income housing projects. The department presented its preliminary policy to commissioners in July, and the finalized exemption policy is projected for completion by the end of August. The bigger picture: The policy could make it more feasible for organizations to build affordable housing. A 2021 study found nearly 500,000 county
HARRIS COUNTY A policy that will consider property tax exemptions for affordable housing owners is moving forward after a unanimous Commissioners Court vote July 18. Why it matters: An existing Texas tax code already provides exemp- tions to certain organizations that meet low-income housing require- ments, but each local governing jurisdiction has to approve the tax exemption and specify the allowed threshold amount, said Mary Lawler, the CEO of Avenue, a Houston-based nonprofit affordable housing builder. “We are struggling right now with rising costs for our apartments and our ability to keep our rents affordable
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households are paying more for housing than they can afford.
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BAY AREA EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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