HOUSTON – Harris County commissioners discussed a proposal Thursday that could ask voters to decide whether to increase property taxes to fund early childhood programs, but no vote was taken.
The proposal is for commissioners to consider the county’s proposed 2026 tax rate, including a rate that would exceed the voter approval threshold to support early childhood programs to be added to the November’s general election ballot.
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During the discussion, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said more than 30,000 families are currently on a waitlist for subsidized child care and argued additional funding is needed to expand access.
Hidalgo said the proposal would not immediately raise taxes. Instead, she said she wants voters to decide whether to approve a 1-cent property tax increase.
According to Hidalgo, the proposed increase would cost the average taxpayer about $26 per year and generate an estimated $66.6 million annually for early childhood programs.
“This is not asking commissioners to approve the tax increase,” Hidalgo said during the meeting. “This is asking whether we will let voters decide.”
Commissioners did not vote on the proposal Thursday.
The discussion follows a similar effort in 2025, when Hidalgo proposed an early childhood “penny tax” initiative to fund child care and preschool programs. That proposal ultimately failed to advance.