Texas Tax Code

Sec. § 26.06
Notice, Hearing, and Vote on Tax Increase

(a)

A public hearing required by Section 26.05 (Tax Rate) may not be held before the fifth day after the date the notice of the public hearing is given. The hearing must be on a weekday that is not a public holiday. The hearing must be held inside the boundaries of the unit in a publicly owned building or, if a suitable publicly owned building is not available, in a suitable building to which the public normally has access. At the hearing, the governing body must afford adequate opportunity for proponents and opponents of the tax increase to present their views.

(b)

The notice of a public hearing may not be smaller than one-quarter page of a standard-size or a tabloid-size newspaper, and the headline on the notice must be in 24-point or larger type.

(b-1)

If the proposed tax rate exceeds the no-new-revenue tax rate and the voter-approval tax rate of the taxing unit, the notice must contain a statement in the following form:
"PROPOSED TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"The no-new-revenue tax rate is the tax rate for the (current tax year) tax year that will raise the same amount of property tax revenue for (name of taxing unit) from the same properties in both the (preceding tax year) tax year and the (current tax year) tax year.
"The voter-approval tax rate is the highest tax rate that (name of taxing unit) may adopt without holding an election to seek voter approval of the rate.
"The proposed tax rate is greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means that (name of taxing unit) is proposing to increase property taxes for the (current tax year) tax year.
"A public hearing on the proposed tax rate will be held on (date and time) at (meeting place).
"The proposed tax rate is also greater than the voter-approval tax rate. If (name of taxing unit) adopts the proposed tax rate, (name of taxing unit) is required to hold an election so that the voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate. If a majority of the voters reject the proposed tax rate, the tax rate of the (name of taxing unit) will be the voter-approval tax rate. The election will be held on (date of election). You may contact the (name of office responsible for administering the election) for information about voting locations. The hours of voting on election day are (voting hours).
"Your taxes owed under any of the tax rates mentioned above can be calculated as follows:
"Property tax amount = tax rate x taxable value of your property / 100
"(Names of all members of the governing body, showing how each voted on the proposal to consider the tax increase or, if one or more were absent, indicating the absences.)
“The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.”

(b-2)

If the proposed tax rate exceeds the no-new-revenue tax rate but does not exceed the voter-approval tax rate of the taxing unit, the notice must contain a statement in the following form:
"PROPOSED TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"The no-new-revenue tax rate is the tax rate for the (current tax year) tax year that will raise the same amount of property tax revenue for (name of taxing unit) from the same properties in both the (preceding tax year) tax year and the (current tax year) tax year.
"The voter-approval tax rate is the highest tax rate that (name of taxing unit) may adopt without holding an election to seek voter approval of the rate.
"The proposed tax rate is greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means that (name of taxing unit) is proposing to increase property taxes for the (current tax year) tax year.
"A public hearing on the proposed tax rate will be held on (date and time) at (meeting place).
"The proposed tax rate is not greater than the voter-approval tax rate. As a result, (name of taxing unit) is not required to hold an election at which voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate. However, you may express your support for or opposition to the proposed tax rate by contacting the members of the (name of governing body) of (name of taxing unit) at their offices or by attending the public hearing mentioned above.
"Your taxes owed under any of the tax rates mentioned above can be calculated as follows:
"Property tax amount = tax rate x taxable value of your property / 100
"(Names of all members of the governing body, showing how each voted on the proposal to consider the tax increase or, if one or more were absent, indicating the absences.)
“The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.”

(b-3)

If the proposed tax rate does not exceed the no-new-revenue tax rate but exceeds the voter-approval tax rate of the taxing unit, the notice must contain a statement in the following form:
"PROPOSED TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE $__________ per $100
"The no-new-revenue tax rate is the tax rate for the (current tax year) tax year that will raise the same amount of property tax revenue for (name of taxing unit) from the same properties in both the (preceding tax year) tax year and the (current tax year) tax year.
"The voter-approval tax rate is the highest tax rate that (name of taxing unit) may adopt without holding an election to seek voter approval of the rate.
"The proposed tax rate is not greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means that (name of taxing unit) is not proposing to increase property taxes for the (current tax year) tax year.
"A public hearing on the proposed tax rate will be held on (date and time) at (meeting place).
"The proposed tax rate is greater than the voter-approval tax rate. If (name of taxing unit) adopts the proposed tax rate, (name of taxing unit) is required to hold an election so that the voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate. If a majority of the voters reject the proposed tax rate, the tax rate of the (name of taxing unit) will be the voter-approval tax rate. The election will be held on (date of election). You may contact the (name of office responsible for administering the election) for information about voting locations. The hours of voting on election day are (voting hours).
"Your taxes owed under any of the tax rates mentioned above can be calculated as follows:
"Property tax amount = tax rate x taxable value of your property / 100
"(Names of all members of the governing body, showing how each voted on the proposal to consider the tax rate or, if one or more were absent, indicating the absences.)
“The 86th Texas Legislature modified the manner in which the voter-approval tax rate is calculated to limit the rate of growth of property taxes in the state.”

(b-4)

In addition to including the information described by Subsection (b-1), (b-2), or (b-3), as applicable, the notice must include the information described by Section 26.062 (Additional Information to Be Included in Tax Rate Notice).

(c)

The notice of a public hearing under this section may be delivered by mail to each property owner in the taxing unit, or may be published in a newspaper. If the notice is published in a newspaper, it may not be in the part of the paper in which legal notices and classified advertisements appear. If the taxing unit publishes the notice in a newspaper, the taxing unit must also post the notice prominently on the home page of the Internet website of the taxing unit from the date the notice is first published until the public hearing is concluded.

(d)

The governing body may vote on the proposed tax rate at the public hearing. If the governing body does not vote on the proposed tax rate at the public hearing, the governing body shall announce at the public hearing the date, time, and place of the meeting at which it will vote on the proposed tax rate.

(e)

A meeting to vote on the tax increase may not be held later than the seventh day after the date of the public hearing. The meeting must be held inside the boundaries of the taxing unit in a publicly owned building or, if a suitable publicly owned building is not available, in a suitable building to which the public normally has access.

(f)

Repealed by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1368, Sec. 6, eff. June 18, 2005.

(g)

This section does not apply to a school district. A school district shall provide notice of a public hearing on a tax increase as required by Section 44.004 (Notice of Budget and Tax Rate Meeting; Budget Adoption), Education Code.
Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2278, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 164, ch. 13, Sec. 118, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 5464, ch. 1029, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 657, Sec. 4, eff. June 14, 1985; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 1, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1986; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 456, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1987; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 947, Sec. 8, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 940, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 6, Sec. 46, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 29.07, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1039, Sec. 28, 29, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 398, Sec. 4, eff. Aug. 30, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1358, Sec. 3, eff. Jan. 1, 2000.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 807 (S.B. 567), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005.
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1368 (S.B. 18), Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 2005.
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1368 (S.B. 18), Sec. 6, eff. June 18, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1105 (H.B. 3495), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1112 (H.B. 3630), Sec. 5(a), eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1112 (H.B. 3630), Sec. 5(b), eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1112 (H.B. 3630), Sec. 5(c), eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 22.005, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 481 (S.B. 1760), Sec. 6, eff. January 1, 2016.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 944 (S.B. 2), Sec. 48, eff. January 1, 2020.
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Jun. 7, 2021

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