The Issues
Lower Taxes
Since taking office in 2011, Judge Mark Henry has delivered on his promise to cut property taxes every year by adopting below the effective rate, known as the “No New Revenue” tax rate, leading to nearly a 50% reduction in the county government’s tax rate.
Homeowners and businesses in Galveston County and Texas are being crushed by property taxes. Judge Henry has done his part to hold the line by lowering the County’s portion of your property taxes. When you get your tax bill, you can see the breakdown of your tax bill from the various taxing jurisdictions that make up the entire bill (city, school district, municipal utility district, drainage district, water control district, etc.). Galveston County’s portion makes up about 20% or less of your overall property tax bill. You can calculate that the county’s annual cut below the No New Revenue rate represents a real property tax cut, even while your home's appraisal has been going up.
THEN
In 2011, your home is appraised at $300K
0.63
Galveston County
Property Tax Rate
You would have paid $1,890
in taxes to Galveston County
YOUR COUNTY TAX BILL HAS GONE DOWN EVEN WHILE APPRAISALS HAVE SKYROCKETED
NOW
In 2025, your home is appraised at $550K
0.32
2025 No New
Revenue Tax Rate
You only pay $1,760
in taxes to Galveston County
By cutting the tax rate every year below the No New Revenue rate, Galveston County has cut your taxes over the past 15 years even while home appraisals have nearly doubled. So why are property taxes increasing for some of you? That’s because when you look at your school district and the other taxing jurisdictions that make up about 80% of your overall tax bill (cities, drainage district, utility districts, etc.) not all of them have been adopting tax rates below the No New Revenue rate like Galveston County. This is why it is so important for you to vote in your local city and school board elections and elect fiscally conservative candidates to adopt tax rates to lower property taxes.