County Increases Homestead Exemption for Seniors from $250K to $400K

By Gloria Way

  Last week, Chambers County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the homestead exemption for individuals over 65 and those with disabilities from $250,000 to $400,000. Commissioner Pct 3 Tommy Hammond presented the item to the Court.

  “I will continue to focus my efforts on reducing taxes and providing needed services for our constituents,” said Hammond. “We strive to improve services and amenities throughout the county for our citizen s.”

  Commissioner Pct 3 Ryan Dagley stated, “86% of seniors in Chambers County will see their tax burden from the county drop to $0.00…big news!!!” He also emphasized “we (Commissioners Court) continue to work toward enhancing services and amenities across the county to better serve our residents. My court members commitment and I remain focused on reducing taxes while ensuring essential services for our constituents.” The new tax exemption will take effect for the 2025 tax bills which are mailed out the end of the year.

  Statistics show that Chambers County is the 10^th fastest growing county in the country and in 2023, Chambers County was the fifth fastest-growing county in Texas with a population growth of 5.0%.  In 2022, Chambers County was one of the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States, with a growth rate of 5.3%. In the Houston-metro area, Chambers County had the largest population growth rate, increasing 22% over the last five years. Between 2010 and 2022, Chambers County grew by an average of 3.1% per year.  Chambers County is one of two counties outside Houston that had one of the largest residential growth rates between 2022 and 2023. Also, due to good paying industrial plant jobs, Chambers County ranked among the top five “wealthiest” counties in Texas with an annual salary of $89,000/capita.      Commissioners Court feel that it can “absorb” the tax loss from raising the homestead exemption because of higher property evaluations and industry growth.