WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas – Nearly every city in Williamson County is proposing a property tax increase this year, with many citing the need to keep pace with growth.

Municipalities can raise property taxes by 3.5%, but if they want a larger increase, voters must approve it in November. A large portion of the city’s budget comes from property taxes.

The Round Rock City Council is considering raising the property tax from the current no-new-revenue tax rate of 33.15 cents.

“That’s the tax rate that would generate the same revenue as last year,” said Sara Bustilloz, Round Rock’s communications and marketing director. “So a lot of us are experiencing growth and higher property valuations, new values ​​on the tax rolls, so you would actually have to lower the tax rate to generate the same revenue, so it gets very, very confusing.”

There’s a lot to sort out, but to make it simple: Round Rock is considering an 8.6 percent increase, or an additional $9 per month.

“About half of that is for voter-approved bond projects approved in the May 2023 bond election, and the other half is essentially for staff and equipment,” Bustilloz said. “We are hiring 26 new employees, 17 of them in public safety, including 10 new officers and six new firefighters.”

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One of the biggest pay raises in Williamson County could come from neighboring Hutto. The city council is expecting a 15 percent pay raise, or about $14 more per month.

“Our city’s population is growing at over 8 percent a year, and everyone has heard about the new Samsung project coming soon. So we need to get our roads, our infrastructure and our sewer projects going now so we’re ready when the growth continues,” said Councilman Randy Clark, Place 3. “We’re already behind.”

The Hutto City Council is split (3 to 4) on the salary increase.

Mayor Mike Snyder is one of the members who does not want such a large increase.

“I saw the budget and thought, ‘If we don’t eliminate fat, I’m not going to raise a dollar in taxes until we stop eating food,'” Snyder said.

Council Member Amberley Kolar, Place 6, added in a statement to FOX 7 Austin:

“The job of the City Council is to enable city staff to provide essential services to the residents of Hutto. Hutto is a growing community with a promising future in Central Texas, and with growth comes greater responsibility for residents.

“Unfortunately, some members of the City Council are unwilling to negotiate the tax rate to better meet the needs of the community. Instead, fear-mongering is being used during budget season to divide the community, which will impact the City’s operations throughout the 2025 fiscal year.”

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Further north in Georgetown, the city council expects an increase of 4.41 percent.

“I propose setting the maximum property tax rate at 36.4820 cents per hundred dollars of value,” said Council Member Kevin Pitts.

They hope this will raise more money for maintenance and operations.

In Taylor, the proposed tax rate is technically a few cents lower than last year.

The City Council approved the proposed tax rate of 59.13 cents. Last year it was 62.8 cents. However, the proposed tax rate is a 6.37 percent increase over the tax rate of 55.59 cents without new revenue.

Jarrell is also considering a proposed rate of 39.4 cents per $100 of valuation.

Both Leander and Liberty Hill are considering raising rates below 3 percent.

If you would like to know how your property tax will change, click here.