PROPERTY TAX

As home and property values continue to, the City of San Antonio is expected to cut its property tax rate for the second year in a row and possibly offer additional relief for property owners.

The City of San Antonio, Neighborhood and Housing Services, is hosting workshops to help homeowners learn about lowering property taxes.

City of San Antonio Director of Government Affairs Sally Basurto talks with KSAT about some of the top bills catching the city’s eye ahead of the legislative session in Austin.

Homeowners in San Antonio should see the city portion of their property tax bills stay the same — or even go down — this year after council increased the value of its homestead exemptions.

As part of early budget discussions for FY 2023, city staff presented city council on Wednesday with an array of recommended property tax relief measures that would increase several tax exemptions for homeowners and lower the tax rate for all property in the city - whether homes, apartments, or commercial.

A West Side councilwoman wants senior homeowners to be able to get a break on their property tax bills if they help organize library books, assist with classes at community centers, or do other volunteer work for the City of San Antonio.

“You will note...that there will be tax relief this year. And so part of that discussion is how we handle the options that will be presented by staff,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg told council members at the beginning of a Wednesday budget meeting.

The Bexar County Appraisal District is set to start mailing out hundreds of thousands of notices to property owners in the coming weeks for anyone whose property has increased in appraisal value since last year.

San Antonio home owners could see two changes to their 2022 property tax bills, which might limit how much you have to pay.

The new laws range from an exemption on homestead taxes for 100% disabled veterans to a requirement on large cities to hold an election before reducing or reallocating funding for law enforcement agencies.

Because there’s already a $5,000 minimum for its current exemption, city staff say boosting the homestead exemption to 5% would only save the average San Antonio homeowner with a $195,730 home an extra $27 each year.