MCKINNEY , Collin County Commissioners Court kept the county property tax rate at $0.149343 per $100 of taxable value for fiscal year 2026, the 33rd consecutive year without a rate increase, while adopting a Total Combined Budget (excluding bond funds) of $599.2 million.
The Senate Bill 2 cover statement required on the adopted budget says the plan will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $20,093,885, or 6.14 percent, and that $13,209,158 of that amount comes from new property added to the tax roll. A flat rate with a growing roll is how those dollars rise without a new cents increase.
Budget size, homestead math, and the vote
The FY2026 Adopted Budget executive summary states:
- Total Adopted Combined Budget (excluding bond funds): $599.2 million
- General Fund: about $343.0 million
- Permanent Improvement Fund: $2.0 million
- Debt Service Fund: $114.6 million
- Other funds (grants, insurance, and similar): about $91.3 million inside the combined total narrative
Commissioners maintained a homestead exemption of 5 percent with a $5,000 minimum for the 18th year. On the median home value with that homestead exemption, the county tax bill is $682.10 under the adopted $0.149343 rate, up from $637.54 the prior year on the document’s comparison table. Residential properties with a homestead exemption remain capped at 10 percent growth over the prior year taxable value under state appraisal rules cited in the budget text.
The cover page records the budget vote as FOR: Susan Fletcher (Pct. 1), Darrell Hale (Pct. 3), and Duncan Webb (Pct. 4); AGAINST: County Judge Chris Hill and Cheryl Williams (Pct. 2).
Truth-in-taxation comparison lines on the same cover show a no-new-revenue rate of $0.145881 and a voter-approval rate of $0.153169 for FY2026. The debt rate portion is listed at $0.041891. Debt obligations secured by property taxes are stated at $1,382,312,768.
Why a flat rate still moves the household bill
Collin County’s story is not a surprise millage hike. It is growth math. New construction and higher taxable values lift the levy even when the posted rate stays put for a 33rd year. Households comparing school and city lines this fall should keep the county’s $682.10 median homestead example next to ISD tables from Frisco ISD’s $1.0194 hold, Plano ISD’s $1.03275 rate beside a $44.8 million shortfall, and McKinney ISD’s $1.0664 rate.
Grid and large-load growth in the same county also keeps capital pressure on the wider civic ledger. See Oncor’s Collin County upgrades as Princeton work starts.
The budget narrative stresses that new real estate construction is a vital component of revenue because property taxes account for roughly 86 percent of General Fund revenue excluding reserves. That is why Commissioners Court can hold the rate for a 33rd year and still post a higher levy. The General Fund will receive $0.106811 of the $0.149343 rate in FY2026, a small decrease of $0.000682, or about 0.63 percent, from the prior split described in the five-year forecast materials.
Long-term General Fund goals stated in the document include maintaining the current tax rate or adopting the no-new-revenue rate or voter-approval path while preserving services. Technology and vehicle refresh cycles for Sheriff, Constable, and general operations remain annual General Fund items even when the headline rate does not move.
What’s next for Collin taxpayers
Watch mid-year amendments if fee or sales-tax lines slip, because property taxes still supply the bulk of General Fund support in the budget narrative. Watch how the General Fund’s share of the $0.149343 rate ($0.106811 in FY2026) holds against jail, courts, and road demand. And compare the county’s 33-year flat-rate claim with school and city ballots already stacked for Nov. 3, 2026. Fixed-income households watching Social Security projections this week should read the $682.10 county example as one line on a multi-entity bill, not the whole story.
How Never Late News reported this
Never Late News based this report on Collin County’s FY2026 Adopted Budget PDF, including the Senate Bill 2 cover statement (+$20,093,885 taxes / $13,209,158 from new property), the flat $0.149343 rate for a 33rd consecutive year, Total Adopted Combined Budget excluding bond funds of $599.2 million, General Fund context of about $343.0 million, median homestead county tax bill of $682.10, and the recorded FOR/AGAINST vote (Fletcher, Hale, Webb for; Hill, Williams against). Source file retained in pack research as collin-fy26.pdf. Primary source: collincountytx.gov FY2026 Adopted Budget Book PDF. We did not invent interviews or independently re-appraise Collin Central Appraisal District accounts for this draft.
Corrections and reader feedback
If you spot an error in tax-rate figures, budget totals, vote tallies, or dates, email editor@neverlatenews.com with the correction and a source link. Never Late News corrects factual mistakes promptly and notes substantive updates when Collin County revises budget materials.
About Never Late News: Never Late News is a US local and civic news site covering budgets, taxes, schools, housing, and public services with people-first reporting. This article carries the byline Jessica J. Eaton.
4 thoughts on “Collin County Keeps $0.149343 Tax Rate for 33rd Year on $599.2M Budget”
Comments are closed.