HOUSTON – November 21, 2007 - Harris County Tax Assessor - Collector Paul Bettencourt announces that the 2007 Harris County combined property tax bills that are in the mail reflect a $40.91 or -1.22% savings on the average Houston area home. The Tax Office analysis below shows a property tax roll-up on the average Houston area home for the years 2006 to 2007.

       “Despite the strong increase in appraised property values this year, the Legislative M&O rate buy-down alone was enough for homeowners to pay less on their tax bill for 2007,” said Bettencourt. “Tax bills will finally go down this year, and in fact, may be the only year we will ever see an actual mandated cut in tax bills,” he added.

       In this example, Houston I.S.D. lowered their tax rate 33 cents as mandated by the Texas Legislature for all I.S.D.s, which produced a real tax cut of 10% on the school portion of the tax bill. Harris County reduced their tax rate by one penny, providing the largest tax rate reduction of all other jurisdictions. All other jurisdictions reduced their tax rates by fractions of a penny, which in aggregate total, the combined tax rate cuts offset the increase in appraised values.

       Harris County’s combined 2007 average Houston area home property tax bill will fall to $3,310.58 this year, a decrease of $40.91 from 2006.

       “The Tax Office began mailing 1,233,368 property tax bills for 2007 this week,” Bettencourt said. “For the first time, this year’s Harris County tax bills include the taxes for the Deer Park Independent School District, North Forest Independent School District and the City of Jersey Village,” he added.

       The 2007 Harris County property tax statements are available to pay online at www.hctax.net, and features a link that allows property owners to view a graph displaying changes in their property values and taxes from 1990-2007 and the five-year account history included with the bill.

       For more information, taxpayers may call 713-368-2000 or visit the Tax Office Web site at www.hctax.net.

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