El Paso property tax rate stays same, yet home owners pay more

EL PASO, Texas -- In an unanimous vote Tuesday, El Paso City Council members approved the budget for next year - and although the property tax rate did not increase, El Pasoans will be paying more in taxes.

Robert Cortinas, the chief financial officer for the city of El Paso, says this budget will help restore services that were impacted by covid.

That includes $20 million for street projects; three new fire academies after there were zero the year before; and an additional $13 million for quality of life projects like parks, recreation centers, and senior centers.

The property tax rate will be set at $0.907301 for the third consecutive year, but an increase in property valuations this year means you will still be paying more in taxes.

According to Cortinas, the city will generate an extra $13 million in property taxes this year.

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez explained that although there will be an additional $13 million of revenue coming from property taxes, the city is still seeing a gap between revenue and expenses. According to a presentation by Cortinas, there will be a $21.8 million dollar debt in fiscal year 2022.

Gonzalez also said the property valuation increases help to stave off any increase of the property tax rate itself.

"The reason why we kept the rate as we did last year and we will again this year is to help the community come back, not only the businesses, but also the residents," Gonzalez said.

ABC-7 spoke with El Paso's Chief Appraiser Dinah Kilgore earlier this year after multiple viewers called to complain about their increased property valuations from the Central Appraisal District. Kilgore attributed the property value increases, in part, to a lack of home construction in El Paso during the pandemic.