FULSHEAR, Texas (Covering Katy News) – The City of Fulshear, which maintains the lowest property tax rate among comparable Fort Bend County municipalities, will hold a special City Council meeting to consider increasing property taxes by 23.5%. The 6 p.m. meeting at Fulshear Municipal Complex happens tonight, Aug. 18, 2025.
If approved, taxes would increase to $0.199901 per $100 of assessed value from the current rate of $0.161856. This proposed increase comes after the city decreased its tax rate by 4.09% last year. The proposed 1-cent increase is the lowest of five options considered by the Council, with the highest being a 5-cent increase.
What it means for you
The proposed increase would raise taxes on a $500,000 home by $190 annually, from $809 to $999. Owners of an $800,000 home would pay $304 more per year, with taxes rising from $1,295 to $1,599.
Public hearing scheduled
The city will hold a public hearing before the vote is taken. City Hall is located at 6611 W. Cross Creek Bend Lane. Residents may speak for three minutes but must register in advance.
Election required if tax increase is approved
Because the proposed rate exceeds the voter-approval threshold of $0.189901 per $100, the city must hold an election Nov. 4 for residents to accept or reject the increase.
Council vote breakdown
Six council members voted for putting the proposal on the agenda: Sarah B. Johnson (District 1), Camron K. Miller (at-large), Abhijeet Utturkar (District 5), Richard Russell (District 4), Patrick Powers (District 2) and Christina Baron (District 3).
At-large Council member Jason Knape was absent for the vote but says he will vote against the tax increase.
"This is absurd to me," Knape wrote in a social media post.
He says the city is already taking in more money because of new development and a tax rate increase is not needed.
"We have more than $376M additional taxable value on the property roll this year."
Knape says if Fulshear adopts the tax rate increase, it would create a total tax revenue increase of 12%.
Support for a tax rate increase came after a July 1 special meeting, where city officials said more money was needed to fund essential projects, including the police department and street repairs.
"Fulshear continues to have the lowest property tax rate among comparable Fort Bend County cities, but to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining quality police officers, as well as to address critical infrastructure needs like repairing and maintaining our roads, the proposed increase is necessary," said Mayor Don McCoy.
"The reality is that growth has outpaced revenue, and without action now, we risk falling behind," Mayor McCoy said. "This adjustment—just $190 ($15.84 per month) more annually for the average $500,000 home—positions us to get ahead of the curve, ensuring both public safety and reliable infrastructure for the future of our community."
Council Member Patrick Powers also feels that the increase is needed.
"The unpopular truth that needs to come out is that the tax rate needs to go up," District 2 council member Patrick Powers said. "These are going to be tough decisions; they're going to be unpopular decisions, and the public is going to hate us. But when we compare it with the other cities in Fort Bend County, it should be a no-brainer."
Fiscal Year 2024-25 Tax Rates
Here are the tax rates for each local entity, broken down by Interest & Sinking Tax Rate and Maintenance & Operations Tax Rate:
Fulshear - Total: 0.1416%
- Interest & Sinking: 0.0200%
- Maintenance & Operations: 0.1216%
Rosenberg - Total: 0.3200%
- Interest & Sinking: 0.1230%
- Maintenance & Operations: 0.1970%
Sugar Land - Total: 0.3532%
- Interest & Sinking: 0.1460%
- Maintenance & Operations: 0.2072%
Richmond - Total: 0.6368%
- Interest & Sinking: 0.2520%
- Maintenance & Operations: 0.3848%
Katy - Total: 0.4250%
- Interest & Sinking: 0.0542%
- Maintenance & Operations: 0.3708%
Key Finding: Fulshear has the lowest tax rate among all entities at 0.1416%, while Richmond has the highest at 0.6368% - making Richmond's rate more than four times higher than Fulshear's.