TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – The voter-approved Smith County courthouse project is responsible for a highly likely property tax increase, according to Smith County Judge Neal Franklin. The $179 million bond passed in November 2022 with 53.73 percent of the vote.

The proposed rate for the coming fiscal year is $0.364231, an increase from $0.347264.

According to Smith County Auditor Ann Wilson, the owner of a home valued at $300,000 will see an annual increase of $50.92 if the value of his home remains the same.

“It’s a tight budget, and we’ve told people that,” Franklin said. “But I firmly believe it’s a successful budget nonetheless.”

Regarding the budget proposal, Franklin said property tax revenues ultimately turned out quite differently than projected.

“Usually it’s pretty close to the number we end up with as a certified number,” Franklins said. “But when we got the certified number this year, the difference was dramatic.”

Franklin explained that the reason for the difference is the large number of people who have successfully appealed their property taxes with the Smith County Appraisal District.

“The difference was significant,” he said. “But when you add it all up and look at our budget policy, it really becomes clear. So we had to find about $1,000,000 in our budget.”

And even though the budget for next year will be tight, Franklin and other members of the district court are still making a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for all district employees a top priority.

“We have to think not only about the taxpayers, but also about our workers,” Franklin said.

Public hearings on the budget and tax rate will be held on August 27. The District Court is expected to vote on the budget and tax rate on September 3.

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