Dallas County’s tax rate — second lowest among counties in Texas — is likely to rise this year to offset an expected $31million budget shortfall attributable largely to lower property values, according to County Budget Director Ryan Brown quoted on the first page of the March 31 Dallas Morning News.     See http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/033010dnmetcountytaxes.1fb6bb7ec.html

This is the second shoe to drop with many more to come.   Earlier this month Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm expressed the same prediction though she tied the expected rate increase to the shortfall in sales taxes. See http://www.texaspropertytaxtips.com/2010/03/02/property-and-sales-tax-collection/

It’s a statewide problem — every taxing authority anticipates the need for higher tax rates to compensate for reduced taxable values.

An owner’s best and most immediate recourse is to protest his or her taxable value when the protest season begins in May.  Property Tax Protest is ready to help. See www.propertytaxprotest.com