A homeowner with the average taxable home value will pay about $20 less on their tax bill. But that reduction will be more than made up for by higher service fees.
FORT WORTH, Texas — The City of Fort Worth proposed a budget exceeding $4.5 billion, with a smaller tax rate and higher fees.
The proposed budget outlines over $3.06 billion in operating fund expenditures, and the general fund will total about $1.1 billion, a $43 million increase compared with last year.
After the Tarrant Appraisal District voted to keep property appraisals stagnant in 2026, Fort Worth staff were expecting a reduction in revenue that would have required budget cuts.
Instead, revenue is projected to increase by 4.56% compared with last year.
In light of that, newly appointed city manager Jay Chapa recommended a quarter-cent reduction to the tax rate, $0.6700 per $100 in valuation.
In other words, a homeowner with the average taxable home value will pay about $20 less on their tax bill annually, according to the city. However, that reduction will be more than made up for by higher service fees.
Residents will pay $56.88 more per year, bringing the total yearly fee bill to $1,294.03.
“One of my goals was to have as little impact on the taxpayer as possible,” Chapa said. “By us reducing our tax rate a little bit, you’ll have a smaller bill from the city of Fort Worth, which will be offset by the rate increases.”
The public safety allocation in the 2026 budget will increase by about $35.4 million as the city works to integrate a new EMS structure into the city budget.
The city’s workforce budget will also increase by $11.9 million to accommodate wage increases.
The city plans to adopt its 2026 tax rate, operating budget and fee ordinance on Sept. 16 and will hold several public meetings ahead of the final vote.