Tarrant County judge touts property tax relief, promises more jobs in State of County speech
Tarrant County judge Tim O’Hare’s first State of the County speech touched on the promise of job creation, county tax cuts, and a plan to honor the longtime retiring administrator.
A large crowd gathered Thursday for O’Hare’s first State of the County speech at the Fort Worth Convention Center, hosted by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
The event comes days after county officials passed tax relief for residents as a part of its proposed $896.6 million budget. For the first time in years, homeowners will see a smaller property tax bill despite skyrocketing home values.
Commissioners have proposed a lowered rate of 19.45 cents per every $100 of a home’s appraised value, meaning those with a $350,000 home would see a property tax bill of $612.68 with the recently approved 10% homestead exemption.
Taxes were cut for JPS, too, even after members of the hospital board voted to propose the same rate as last year. The newly proposed rate is also 19.45 cents per every $100 of a home’s appraised value.
“It’s not often that governments literally take a budget and lower it from one year to the next,” O’Hare said.
The budget will be formally finalized at a commissioners meeting sometime in September.
O’Hare told the crowd the county has “underperformed” in corporate relocations and bringing in more businesses. He promised that once the budget cycle was over, he would meet with elected officials and chamber members to bring in business and create more jobs.
The county judge brought all the members of the commissioners onstage besides Commissioner Roy Brooks, who was unable to attend the event.
“In this bipartisan group we have we really do work well together and are there some ideological battles from time to time?” O’Hare said. “I’m sure there are, as there is in all politics.”
O’Hare said he’s been pleased so far with how the court has been able to work together.
The event couldn’t go on without a standing ovation for longtime and only Tarrant County administrator G.K. Maenius, who will retire Sept. 30 after 35 years in the position.
O’Hare announced that the Tarrant County Administration Building in downtown Fort Worth will be renamed come Oct. 1 to honor Maenius’ namesake pending a vote from the county commissioners.
The county judge also gave nods to efforts made by the commissioners court to provide law enforcement more resources, including the county’s purchase of a $345,000 armored vehicle for the sheriff’s office and the potential new law enforcement training academy.
This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 2:17 PM.
