Council sets proposed tax rate at no-new-revenue level, schedules public hearing

Freeport — At a special meeting in August 2025 the Freeport City Council proposed a property-tax rate not to exceed the computed no-new-revenue rate and set a public hearing and adoption vote date in September.

Council action: The council voted unanimously to propose a tax rate not to exceed 0.51421 per $100 of taxable value — the “no new revenue” rate calculated by the county assessor’s office — after staff presented the county’s certified taxable value roll and the required comparative computations (no-new-revenue rate, debt rate and voter-approval rate). The council subsequently set the public hearing and adoption vote for Sept. 15, 2025, at 6 p.m. at City Hall (430 N. Brazosport).

Why it matters: The no-new-revenue rate uses the certified taxable values to calculate a rate that raises the same property-tax revenue as the current year, excluding new property value. By proposing a rate at or below that number, the council limits the city’s proposal to maintain current property-tax revenue levels rather than raising property-tax revenue from existing taxpayers. If the council had proposed a rate above the “no new revenue” level, state law would have required additional public‑notice steps and, in some circumstances, an election or voter‑approval procedure.

Council vote and next steps: The motion to set the proposed rate at the no-new-revenue level was made and seconded during the meeting; the recorded roll-call vote was unanimous. Council directed staff to publish required notices and to bring the formal tax-rate ordinance and final budget for adoption at the scheduled September hearing.