Corpus Christi Sun

As home value appraisals have gone through the roof, property taxes have been a focal point of discussion since Texas property tax assessments have gone up as well.

A big factor in the rising cost of property tax rates can be directly tied to how much money local jurisdictions want to spend, the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association (TTARA) said in a recent report.

"The simple truth is no matter what your appraisal, property tax bills would not be going up unless local jurisdictions wanted to spend more money," TTARA said in the report. "Regardless of your 2022 appraisal, right now your 2022 tax bill is zero. Your tax bill won't be set until the jurisdictions in which you reside decide how much money they want to raise and set their tax rates."

Texans should expect to experience "sticker shock" when receiving their appraisals this year, but ultimately the taxpayers do have some control over their property tax rates, TTARA said.

Corpus Christi's property tax grew 44.7% from $118.6 million to $171.6 million in the four years leading up to 2020, the Texas Public Policy Foundation said in a report. The combined population and inflation for the city grew by 5.4 % during that same time frame, resulting in a 39.3% difference. During those four years, the city actually saw a population decline of approximately 8,000 people.

Appraised property values in Texas are expected to increase anywhere from 20% to 50% this year, The Texan reported. Property values are a key component in the determination of property taxes. School districts make up more than half of the local property taxes levied annually.