2 GOP commissioners skip vote on tax rate

Harris County’s two Republican commissioners skipped Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, preventing county leaders from passing a property tax rate and proposed budget for the next fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1. State law requires four members of the court be present to set the tax rate.

With only the court’s three Democrats present, the county was forced to adopt what is known as the no new revenue rate, a levy that brings in the same amount of property tax revenue as last year.

Overall, the $2.1 billion budget will be $108 million less than the county had proposed.

Michael Wyke/Contributor Harris Health warned that 10,000 patients could lose services if the budget plan was not adopted.