Fort Worth is staring down a $49.3 million budget hole even as property values across the city’s tax base surged—and how the City Council closes that gap this fall will ripple through every homeowner’s tax bill and every city service residents depend on.
According to the city’s April property value and sales tax update, taxable values across Tarrant, Denton, Parker, and Wise counties hit an estimated $140 billion for the 2026 tax year—an 8.5% jump over last year. Tarrant County alone, where most Fort Worth property sits, climbed to $127.6 billion, up 6.4%.
But the gains aren’t evenly distributed—and that shapes where the budget pressure lands…