Brazos County commissioners voted 3-2 to raise the property tax rate to $0.443474 per $100 of taxable value for fiscal year 2026-27, a 5.66% increase over last year's rate of $0.419700. The commissioners adopted the budget. The county's budget was $482.3 million.
The rate and budget were both adopted on September 1, according to EIN Presswire. Commissioners Bentley Nettles and Fred Brown voted against the increase, instead backing a no-new-revenue rate of $0.414658 that would have kept property tax revenue roughly flat on properties taxed in both years. County officials said the higher rate was needed to cover the costs of serving a growing population.
Why the Rate Went Up Despite a Smaller Budget
County Auditor Marci Turner warned commissioners that adopting the lower no-new-revenue rate could have forced the county to draw down its fund balance in future years. The same Community Impact report specifies that figure: roughly $91.6 million in general fund reserves depleted through 2036 had the county held the rate flat.
The county trimmed ongoing maintenance and operations spending by about $849,000 and included no cost-of-living pay raises for employees.
What It Means for the Average Tax Bill
County officials estimated the average homeowner could see an increase of roughly $95 to $100 on the county portion of their tax bill, according to the seed report from EIN Presswire.
Reserves, Debt Service, and Population Growth
The adopted rate breaks down into a $0.405000 maintenance-and-operations component and a $0.038474 debt-service component. Of the $52.3 million in general fund balance built into the new budget, $44.5 million is assigned or restricted for specific uses, including $20 million earmarked for deferred maintenance and $5 million for county healthcare duties, the county's budget documentation shows.
Behind the numbers sits a county that has grown substantially. U.S. Census Bureau estimates cited by USAFacts show Brazos County's population increased by 715 people from 2024 to 2025. County officials pointed to population growth in defending the increase, framing it as a response to the costs of serving more residents rather than simply expanding government.
Property tax consulting firm O'Connor, which provided the underlying seed report, said the increase will add to the property tax burden for Brazos County homeowners and advised residents to review their property values and exemptions. The firm says it represents 185,000 clients across 49 states and Canada and handled about 295,000 protests in 2024, offering enrollment in a property tax protection program that carries no upfront fee and takes a few minutes to complete online.
For Brazos County homeowners, the actual outcome for 2026 will depend less on the rate itself and more on how their individual property's appraised value moved this year.
