Dallas County voters weigh 2.4-cent tax hike for homeless programs

Dallas County voters decide Nov. 3 whether the county may levy $0.24865 per $100 of taxable value for 2026, which is 2.4 cents above the voter-approval rate. On a $10M commercial property, our arithmetic puts that gap at $2,400 a year in county tax, before any exemption or abatement.

Why it matters

The Commissioners Court adopted the proposal Aug. 11 in Court Order 2026-0879 and sent it to voters. Texas law requires the election when a county sets a rate above the voter-approval rate. If a majority rejects it, the county rate falls back to the voter-approval rate of $0.224650.

The order says the money would fund programs that measurably reduce homelessness and resolve encampments, support self-sufficiency, expand mental health treatment and pay for stable housing. The proposal is not decided: the order passed 3-2, with Commissioner John Wiley Price and Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia opposed.

For owners and agents, this is a county-only line. School, city and special-district levies sit on top of it.

The numbers

• Voter-approval rate: $0.224650 per $100. Proposed rate: $0.248650. Gap: $0.024000.
• Last year’s county rate, per the order: $0.215500.
• The county fact sheet estimates the election rate would raise $102.9M. We did not find a figure in the order itself.
• Our arithmetic on the gap: $24 per $100,000 of value, $84 on a $350,000 home, $2,400 on a $10M property.
• The order states the county portion of a $350,000 home’s bill rises $116.03 a year against last year’s rate.
• The order’s recitals also print $0.226450 as the voter-approval rate. That figure does not fit the $0.024000 gap, so we use $0.224650.
• Neither the order nor the fact sheet states a count of people housed, so we do not report one.

What’s next

Voting is Nov. 3. A yes vote keeps $0.24865 as the 2026 rate; a no vote returns the county to $0.224650. Watch the county’s later notices for final bill figures, and check how the extra levy lands on your own assessed values. More coverage is on the Dallas market page.