![\"Alisa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790281687_857_CT_TCCmeeting0506_02C.jpeg\" "\\"Alisa")
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Alisa Simmons, the Tarrant County Commissioner of Precinct 2, and Tim O\u2019Hare, the Tarrant County Judge, during a Commissioners Court Meeting at the Tarrant County Administration Building in Fort Worth on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The two are up against each other in the election for O\u2019Hare\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
Chris Torres<\/p>\n
ctorres@star-telegram.com<\/p>\n
One of the more notable differences a county judge can make for residents is in their property tax bill.<\/p>\n
A homeowner\u2019s bill is based on their appraised home value and the tax rates set by local governments, including the county, city and school district. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court is responsible for setting the tax rates and the budgets those tax dollars support for both the county and JPS Hospital Network.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hare and Simmons have been on the Commissioners Court since 2023, though O\u2019Hare chairs the court. In that time, the county increased the homestead exemption<\/a> to the maximum allowed by state law, 20%. The Commissioners Court has also voted to lower the tax rates for both the county and hospital district each year.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Republican Tim O\u2019Hare and Democrat Alisa Simmons have said regarding your taxes.<\/p>\n Issue: TaxesTim O\u2019Hare, incumbent<\/p>\n County Judge O\u2019Hare, of Southlake, campaigned on lowering taxes when he ran for the seat in 2022 and led the charge to cut the county tax rate below the no new revenue rate every year he\u2019s been in office. The no new revenue rate is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of property tax revenue from existing properties as the prior year.<\/p>\n His campaign sent a fundraising email shortly after the commissioners lowered tax rates for both entities last month, saying the county and hospital district\u2019s rates are now \u201cthe lowest they\u2019ve been in modern county history.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Hare and the two Republican commissioners garnered support from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in August, who lauded Tarrant County as the poster child for creating meaningful tax relief<\/a>.<\/p>\n The county judge said in an August press release right after the vote to lower the tax rate that he would continue to fight for lower taxes.<\/p>\n \u201cTarrant County\u2019s tax rate is down 17 percent since I took office, and we did that while still funding law enforcement, our courts, and the services our residents rely on,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Hospital District rate is down 29.2 percent, without a single less patient receiving treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n Alisa Simmons, Precinct 2 commissioner<\/p>\n Simmons, of Arlington, approved the decision to lower the county tax rate below the no new revenue rate in her first two years on the Commissioners Court. In the most recent two years, the Democrat believed the county was cutting into bone rather than trimming fat.<\/p>\n In 2025, Simmons and another Democrat commissioner\u2019s absence forced a delay<\/a> on setting the 2026 tax rate. State law requires four of the five commissioners court members present to levy taxes, whereas only three constitute a quorum in every other case.<\/p>\n In a statement issued that day, Simmons called O\u2019Hare\u2019s proposed tax rate extreme and destructive. She instead wanted to set the tax rate at the no new revenue rate. In the end, the Republican majority on court voted to set the lower tax rate<\/a> amid disapproval from the two Democrats.<\/p>\n \u201cMy record stands: I voted in favor of tax rates below No-New-Revenue rates since being on the Commissioners Court,\u201d the September 2025 statement said. \u201cIn addition, I made the motion for the inaugural 10 percent Homestead Exemption. I support tax cuts that are honest and compassionate \u2014 that cut fat, not bone \u2014 and that protect both your pocketbook and your community.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, Simmons was present for the decision, but voted against the cut. She again said the proposed tax rate, which is lower than the no new revenue rate, would come with consequences. The budget director, in response, said she had no concerns about the county\u2019s fiscal health.<\/p>\n This story was originally published September 24, 2026 at 2:01 PM.<\/p>\n Follow More of Our Reporting on Reality Check<\/p>\n
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