By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Usually by mid-July county taxing entities have their certified property values and they have begun crunching the numbers calculating a possible tax rate.
While values using possible homestead exemptions went out to school districts this past week, Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson of the Montague County Tax Appraisal District says the figures are far from final as they have to await the outcome of the Nov. 7 Texas Constitutional amendment election, as well as send the school districts a value to submit for state funding so they can prepare their budgets and tax rates.
In the Nov. 7 constitutional amendment election a yes vote would increase the homestead exemption only for school districts from $40,000 to $100,000 and apply to the tax year beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The homestead exemption was last increased in May 2022 from $25,000 to $40,000.
Haralson said the main question for appraisal district staff was how could the MCTAD-certified values to the point school districts issue tax statements by Oct. 1, when a major component of that calculation, the homestead exemption, won’t be known until after the Nov. 7 election.
After working with state officials, the appraiser said they will go ahead and certify the tax rolls for the county’s 16 taxing entities instead of waiting another week. This action will allow them all to at least start the process of setting the tax rate which has multiple deadlines.

Read the full story in the Saturday Bowie News.