Tarrant County College has increased its property tax rate by 6.88% for 2026, while the college estimates the annual tax on its average residential homestead will rise by $5.83, or 1.44%.
The TCC Board of Trustees approved the increase on September 10, setting the rate at $0.120000 per $100 of taxable property value, up from $0.112280 last year.
The college’s no-new-revenue rate was $0.112110. The no-new-revenue rate is designed to generate approximately the same property tax revenue from properties taxed in both years.
TCC’s adopted rate exceeds that threshold.
The college estimates its total property tax levy will increase from roughly $306.2 million to $326 million, an increase of nearly $19.9 million, or 6.5%.
TCC’s tax notice estimates the annual tax on an average residence homestead will rise from $404.09 to $409.92. That increase is smaller than the rate increase because the calculation uses an average taxable homestead value that declined by 5.08%, from $359,898 to $341,599.
The estimate compares each year’s average taxable homestead value. Individual homeowners’ bills will depend on their property’s taxable value and applicable exemptions.
Tarrant County government’s published tax proposal took a different approach, calling for a rate of $0.1860 per $100, down from $0.1862 last year and slightly below its $0.1861 no-new-revenue rate, according to the county’s official meeting notice.
Even with the lower proposed rate, the county estimated its average homestead tax bill would increase from $515.68 to $516.40 because average taxable homestead values increased. The notice scheduled commissioners’ vote for September 15.
Tarrant County College and Tarrant County government are separate taxing entities governed by different elected boards, but both collect property taxes from property owners within their respective jurisdictions.
Other North Texas community colleges are also taking different approaches.
Dallas College’s public hearing notice proposed maintaining its total rate at $0.106575 per $100, unchanged from 2025 but above its $0.100224 no-new-revenue rate. Under that proposal, the college estimated the average homestead tax would increase $23.79, or 5.76%, while its total property tax levy would grow by approximately $32.2 million, or 6.71%.
A subsequent adoption notice, updated September 10, confirms that Dallas College adopted a rate that will raise more property taxes for maintenance and operations. The notice says the maintenance-and-operations rate itself remains unchanged from the previous year.
Weatherford College also increased its property tax rate. Trustees approved a rate of $0.114716 per $100 of taxable property value, up from $0.106087, an increase of roughly 8.1%.
The differences are not limited to community colleges.
Dallas County commissioners adopted a property tax rate of $0.248650 per $100 of taxable property value for 2026, compared with $0.215500 last year, an increase of approximately 15.4%.
The county’s official notice says the adopted budget will raise approximately $189.4 million more in property tax revenue than the previous year’s budget, an increase of 22.51%.
Dallas County’s adopted rate also exceeds its voter-approval tax rate, meaning voters are scheduled to decide on November 3 whether to approve or reject the higher rate.
The county estimates taxes on a median homestead would rise from $558.97 to $666.52 under the adopted rate. At the county’s no-new-revenue rate of $0.203785, the same median homestead would instead face an estimated $546.26 county tax bill.
The comparisons illustrate an important distinction in Texas property taxation. A taxing entity can keep or even lower its nominal tax rate while collecting more property tax revenue because property values and the tax base can increase.
For that reason, the no-new-revenue rate provides another measure of whether a local government’s adopted rate represents an effective tax increase.
TCC officials have cited growing enrollment, workforce investments, changes in state funding and declining taxable property values among the financial pressures facing the college. When trustees approved the college’s $429.4 million operating budget in August, TCC said the spending plan was intended to protect instruction and high-demand workforce programs while responding to those financial challenges.
Provided by Dallas Express
