Imagine sitting at your kitchen table, sorting through monthly bills as inflation continues to eat away at your hard-earned savings. For years, Collin County residents had one reliable constant: a local government that, for over three decades, refrained from raising property tax rates. That long-standing shield against fiscal overreach was officially shattered this week. On September 14, 2026, the Collin County Commissioners Court decided that your household budget must take a backseat to their spending appetites.
In a disappointing 4 to 1 vote, with County Judge Chris Hill standing as the sole dissenting voice of reason, the commissioners approved a massive $619.6 million budget for the FY 2026-27 fiscal year. To fund this bloated budget, which represents an unnecessary $20.4 million spending increase over the previous year, the court voted to increase the county property tax rate. The rate will rise from $0.149343 per $100 in property valuation to $0.151414 per $100, according to official reports from KERA News. This 1.4 percent rate hike represents the first property tax rate increase in Collin County in 33 years, as detailed by Community Impact.
This decision is a fundamental betrayal of local taxpayers who are already struggling under the weight of rising valuations. Instead of trimming fat, finding operational efficiencies, or prioritizing essential services, local officials took the easy way out by reaching deeper into your pockets. County Judge Chris Hill rightly opposed the budget and the tax rate increase, arguing that the county should have maintained its historical rate to protect working-class families. When local government entities prioritize their own expansion over the financial freedom of their citizens, they actively undermine the foundational principles of free enterprise and private property ownership.
This aggressive push to extract more revenue from property owners is part of a broader, troubling trend across Texas where local jurisdictions use regulatory mechanisms to squeeze citizens. When governments are not hiking tax rates, they are fabricating costly municipal fees and code requirements that penalize property owners. For instance, the Texas Public Policy Foundation recently challenged similar overreach in Austin, where the city levied massive penalties on a homeowner under the guise of tree preservation ordinances, as documented by the Texas Public Policy Foundation Tree Ordinance Case Study. Whether through direct property tax hikes like those in Collin County or unconstitutional regulatory fees, local administrations continue to demonstrate that they view private property as a perpetual revenue stream to fund their administrative growth.
The residents of Collin County must realize that local government overreach will not stop unless taxpayers actively stand up and demand accountability. Breaking a 33 year streak of fiscal discipline is not just a minor policy adjustment, it is a dangerous step toward the same tax and spend mindset that has ruined countless cities across the nation. It is time to let your commissioners know that you do not hate local government enough, and that it is time to restore true fiscal sanity and respect for private property rights in Collin County.