Imagine working hard all year, carefully balancing your family budget, only to have a group of local politicians decide that more of your hard earned money belongs to the county government. For residents of Montgomery County, that frustration is now a painful reality. When the cost of living is already squeezing household budgets, local officials should be looking for ways to cut spending, not finding new ways to drain the bank accounts of the citizens they are supposed to represent. This latest fiscal decision shows a complete disregard for the taxpayers who fund the entire system.
On September 8, 2026, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved a massive 546.8 million dollar operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year in a split 3 to 2 vote. To fund this bloated budget, the court raised the property tax rate to 0.3860 dollars per 100 dollars of property valuation. This approved rate is up from the previous rate of 0.3770 dollars, and it is significantly higher than the calculated no new revenue tax rate of 0.3706 dollars. By voting to exceed the no new revenue rate, the county is choosing to extract more wealth from property owners, resulting in an average property tax increase of over 30 dollars for a median homestead. This decision was covered extensively by the Community Impact Article and The Woodlands Record Article.
This tax hike is a direct attack on economic freedom and private property rights in Texas. When local governments raise taxes above the no new revenue rate, they are asserting that their administrative desires are more important than your family's financial security. True property rights mean that citizens should have the freedom to enjoy the fruits of their labor without the threat of being priced out of their own homes by local councils. By refusing to adopt a tax rate that would keep the county's collections flat, the commissioners are forcing taxpayers to subsidize a growing bureaucracy.
This local overreach is part of a broader pattern of local governments undermining property rights across Texas. The Texas Public Policy Foundation has documented how municipal and county governments routinely expand their fiscal footprint by overriding taxpayer protections. When local entities raise rates to capture skyrocketing valuations, they dilute the very concept of private property. Homeowners are left paying a perpetual rent to the state, and any attempt by the community to retain its wealth is overridden by central planners who believe they know how to spend your money better than you do.
Montgomery County taxpayers must hold their local officials accountable for this expansion. The 3 to 2 vote indicates that while some commissioners recognize the burden being placed on the community, the majority opted to expand the county budget anyway. It is time for residents to make their voices heard and demand that the commissioners court respect property rights and return to a policy of fiscal restraint.