The conversation about Helotes’ ad valorem tax rate should be about more than simply whether the city is “raising taxes.” It should also be about what we expect from our local government, the people who provide the essential services on which we depend, and what it costs to maintain the level of service and quality of life we value in Helotes.
During the August 13, 2026 meeting, the City Council discussed:
- Keeping the current ad valorem rate at $0.31000, which allows the budget to provide approximately a 2.8% salary increase for our first responders and staff.
- Increasing the ad valorem rate by a nominal 1.9% to $0.31610, which allows the budget to provide a 4% salary increase for Helotes’ first responders and staff.
With a motion made by one of my colleagues and seconded by another, the City Council unanimously approved setting the ad valorem tax rate at $0.31610.
That additional investment matters, and the impact on the average homeowner is relatively small.
For the average Helotes home valued at $465,000, the new rate would add $28.36 per year—or $2.36 per month—to Helotes’ portion of the property tax bill. The City of Helotes represents only about 15% of the typical property tax bill, and with one of the lowest ad valorem rates in Bexar County – ranking 21st out of 24 municipalities.
I believe the City Council should always be good stewards of taxpayers’ money, and I don’t take that responsibility lightly. Responsible stewardship also means recognizing when a modest investment today helps us maintain a strong workforce, preserve essential services, and protect the quality of life that makes Helotes such a desirable place to live.
And as elected officials, we need to make sure that any additional ad valorem revenue has a clear purpose.
I believe this does.
I also believe that recruiting and retaining skilled employees to serve Helotes well is an important responsibility of local government. Our police officers, firefighter/EMS personnel, emergency communications/dispatchers, public works crews, and other valuable city employees provide the protection and services we depend on every day.
The decision was not about increasing the ad valorem rate for the sake of increasing it. The City Council made a reasonable and responsible budget decision about investing in the people who provide essential services to Helotes, while keeping the impact on our homeowners modest with one of the lowest ad valorem rates in the county.
You can view the presentation slides for the FYE27 Budget Discussion at:
https://helotes-tx.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/10A-Budget-Slides-Updated-8.13.26.pdf
To watch the discussion starting at 1:38:15 on the City’s YouTube Channel, go to https://www.youtube.com/live/5E3Wj-IBrCg?si=Zsg-txmhOjtvTdvO.