Tarrant judge says Democratic commissioner ‘ignored’ responsibility to taxpayers
The Republican Tarrant County judge said his Democratic peer “reprehensibly ignored her obligation” to residents by preventing a tax rate passage Tuesday.
At the regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, only Republicans Tim O’Hare of Southlake, Matt Krause of Keller and Manny Ramirez of Fort Worth were present. The main topic on the docket was the final vote to approve the county’s budget and set the tax rate.
Not present were Democrats Roderick Miles, who O’Hare said was sick, and Alisa Simmons.
At least four members of the Commissioners Court are necessary to levy taxes — the only instance in which more than three are required to conduct business.
The absent commissioners sent a press release moments after the tax rate discussion was postponed to a specially called meeting Monday, Sept. 22.
The proposed tax rate of 18.62 cents is just below the no-new-revenue rate of 18.66 cents, which would generate the same amount of tax dollars from properties that were on the rolls in 2025. Setting a rate that’s below the no-new-revenue rate effectively lowers the tax bill for county residents. The county has done so for the last two years under O’Hare’s leadership.
Miles, who is from Fort Worth, said lowering taxes can be a worthy goal, but he believes going below the no-new-revenue rate would not generate enough to serve residents.
Simmons, who lives in Arlington, said the no-new-revenue rate is the “responsible path forward” and that the proposed tax rate is extreme and destructive.
“We can run a lean county government without hollowing out its heart,” Simmons said in a statement.
O’Hare’s statement on the broken quorum called it a “Democrat stunt” to raise proposed property tax rates.
“Elected officials have every right to oppose tax cuts and fight to take more money from taxpayers, but that’s not the side of the argument I’ll ever be on,” he said.
Because the approved budget was based on the lowered tax rate, O’Hare said the additional funds collected under a no-new-revenue rate will go into the general fund with no specific purpose.
“Taxing residents and businesses with the no-new-revenue rate does not enhance County services, it just results in bloated government,” O’Hare said. “Let’s be clear about how tax rates work—adopting the no-new-revenue rate is not a tax cut, it keeps the impact of property taxes the same. Any Democrat commissioner claiming yesterday’s outcome was a tax cut is lying to taxpayers.”