Thursday, December 7, 2023
Expect a delay in your tax bill coming in the mail
The Hood County Appraisal District is delaying sending out tax bills to the taxpayers in the county.
Taxpayers usually receive their tax bills in the first week of October according to Jeff Law, Hood County chief appraiser.
Granbury ISD adopted a tax rate that was higher than the calculated voter approval rate which is why the Voter Approval Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) will be on the Nov. 7 election ballot.
According to Granbury ISD, “if VATRE is approved the proposal will enable Granbury ISD to secure an estimated $8.2 million in additional annual funding while simultaneously reducing the overall tax rate from last year’s rate of 0.9996 cents by 0.0342 cents. This would be the lowest rate in Hood County and one of the lowest in the metroplex.”
Due to the VATRE election happening next month, the HCAD decided to delay sending out the tax bills; it will determine the actual tax rate that will calculate tax bills after the election takes place.
“If I were to mail out tax bills today, I would have to use the rate the GISD has adopted, which is the rate of 93 cents, and some people would start paying as soon as they get the bill,” Law said. “The risk of mailing tax bills in October, rather than waiting, could potentially double the cost of sending tax bills this year and creates some unneeded taxpayer confusion. It would be more prudent just to wait and see what the voters say and mail a correct tax bill one time.”
Mailing tax bills later than normal will not change any of the payment options for taxpayers or the delinquency dates, penalties, or interest. Property taxes for 2023 will still be due upon receipt of the tax bill, and property taxes will not be delinquent if they are paid by January 31, 2024.
“Once the appraisal district gets the official tax rate that’s been set, then we can calculate those bills and mail those out to everyone,” Law said. “After that vote takes place on Nov. 7, we will move forward immediately, get the tax roll calculated and tax bills printed, and get them in the mail as soon as possible. I believe that we can have the tax bills mailed around Nov. 17.”
