To maintain the quality and availability of services and programs, the Fort Worth City Council is proposing a half-cent property tax increase for fiscal year 2025.

An increase in property taxes would be the first such increase in nearly three decades.

“Since 1995, there have been several long periods of no tax cuts, but no tax increases,” a city spokesman wrote in an email to NBC 5.

Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke mentioned that the typical Fort Worth homeowner would face a $60 increase in their annual property tax bill. This estimate is based on a property value of $285,000 in fiscal year 2024, which is expected to increase to $294,399 in fiscal year 2025 while maintaining a 20% property tax exemption.

Cooke said the city’s budget is growing at a slower rate than in previous years.

“General fund growth this year is only half of what it was last year,” Cooke said Tuesday during a budget work session with city council members.

He said the growth in property values ​​was slower than in recent years and estimated that $4 billion more would be available in the budget.

“…A $4 billion decline in taxable net worth has implications for resulting tax rates,” Cooke said Tuesday.

Cooke said most of the tax increase will be used for road maintenance.

According to the city, three and a half million dollars will go into the city’s new emergency services.

Cooke said they have been looking for ways to make budget cuts, such as eliminating some vacant positions rather than trying to fill them.

“If we had assumed that these positions would not be filled, some of them would have been eliminated in this year’s budget,” he said on Tuesday.

Mayor Gyna Bivens expressed a desire to increase efficiency in various departments, including development services.

10th District Councilman Alan Blaylock, who has advocated for lower property taxes in the past, said he remains committed to lowering taxes.

“Affordability is a pressing issue and the City of Fort Worth should not add to the financial burden on families. As we move through budget discussions, I will continue to advocate for lower taxes while also working to improve public safety and infrastructure. As I have for the past two years, I will vote consistent with these priorities,” he wrote in an email to NBC 5.

Darfetta Muhammad said she was concerned about the impact a tax increase could have on her 81-year-old mother.

“That extra $60 or $50 makes a difference for a person on a fixed income,” she said.

She said they were already paying a higher property tax bill due to rising property values, so they had started cutting costs elsewhere, such as by visiting one of their favorite spots, the Paris Coffee Shop, less often.

“Before, she could come anytime. Now it’s more like, ‘Let’s see if I can afford it this time,'” Muhammad said.

She and her mother are aware that the additional revenue will benefit city services. At the same time, however, some services that her mother depends on have been cut, she said. For example, a bus line in front of her house has been removed.

The Muhammads say they look forward to participating in community meetings on the issue.

According to Cooke’s presentation, the following meetings are planned:

• Wednesday, August 21, 6:00 p.m., Southwest Community Center
• Thursday, August 22, 6:00 p.m., Eagle Mountain Saginaw Administration Building
• Monday, August 26, 6:00 p.m., Highland Hills Community Center
• Tuesday, August 27, 6:00 p.m., Northside Community Center
• Wednesday, August 28, 6:00 p.m., Chisolm Trail Community Center
• Thursday, August 29, 6:00 p.m., Basswood Elementary School
• Wednesday, September 4, 6:00 p.m., Handley/Meadowbrook Community Center
• Thursday, September 5, 6:00 p.m., Como Community Center
• Saturday, September 7, 11:00 a.m., Riverside Community Center
• Monday, September 9, 6:00 p.m., Blue Haze Elementary School
• Wednesday, September 11, 6:00 p.m., Truett Wilson Middle School
• Thursday, September 12, 6:00 p.m., virtual meeting

City Council members will hold additional budget work sessions on August 27 and September 5 and 6, which will also be open to the public.

There will be a public hearing on the budget on September 10 and a public hearing on the tax rate on September 17. On September 17, the council will vote on whether to adopt the tax rate.