There is no state property tax in Texas. Your property tax is a local tax, going straight to the governing bodies near you. Nearly 4,000 local governments in Texas are the ones collecting and using your property tax, including cities, counties, school districts, and special districts.My home, for example, is taxed by my city, of course, but again for the county, the regional water district, the school district, and the college district.
The different districts use the money for their local needs. Streets, fire protection, police departments, schools, colleges–property taxes are the largest single funding source for these community services. But just what are, exactly, the services you are paying for with your property taxes?
Consider just some of the functions and services of the common governments that use your property taxes:
County
- Restaurant inspections
- Disease control
- Water sanitation
- Courts
- Jails
- Sheriff’s office
- Public buses
- Elections: managing elections and counting ballots
- Animal care and control
- Emergency management
- Emergency planning services
- Trails, parks, and open space
- Wastewater management
City
- Aviation
- Local cable channel
- Animal control
- Consumer health
- Garbage and recycling
- Code compliance
- Provides equipment servics to other city departments
- Fire protection
- Libraries
- Municipal courts
- Parks
- Athletics
- Community centers
- Forestry
- Graffiti abatement
- Building permits and plans
- Inspections
- Neighborhood education
- Police
- Public events
- Streets, lights, signals, markings
- Parking meters and city-owned parking garages
- Storm water, including high water warning flashers, drain cleaning, maintaining drainage canals
- Tap water
School district
- Elementary education
- Secondary education
- School buildings
- Teachers
- Supplies
- Utilities/maintenance
- Administration
- School counselors
- Staff development/training
- Extracurricular activities
- Computers and technology
- Library
- School buses
- Nurses
- Security
- “Improve the lives of homeless and at-risk families” in the school district, sometimes including free meals during summer vacation for the children of such families.
Community college
- College education
- Small business development, including counseling and mentoring
- Continuing education
- High school outreach
- Dual enrollment/early high school
- Instructors
- Academic support
- Student services
- Scholarships and fellowships
- Maintenance of property
- Tuition discounts
