Spring-area property owners will get their first look at Lone Star College's proposed tax rate for the coming year when trustees hold a special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The session begins at 10:30 a.m. at LSC-University Park, 20515 SH 249, in the Universe Room of Building 11, according to a college notice posted Sept. 10. Residents can attend in person or join via Zoom. The Zoom meeting ID is 857 5556 6519 and the passcode is 374908.

The board will formally announce a public hearing on the proposed property tax rate at the meeting. The rate has not been officially set. But budget documents from the board's Aug. 6 workshop peg the preliminary FY 2026-27 rate at $0.1058 per $100 of assessed property value. That would be a slight dip from the current rate of $0.1060, which trustees unanimously approved in October 2025.

Even a small rate cut does not guarantee a lower tax bill. Some property owners in the Montgomery Central Appraisal District and San Jacinto County Appraisal District could see higher bills because median property values rose year over year, according to Community Impact reporting on the Aug. 6 budget session.

The rate discussion follows the board's unanimous approval on Aug. 6 of a $577.5 million balanced budget for FY 2026-27, which includes 2% raises for full- and part-time employees. Kristy Vienne, the system's vice chancellor of finance and administration and chief financial officer, said in an Aug. 6 news release that the budget "is built on strong financial foundations" and positions the system to invest in student success and workforce development.

Lone Star College's rate remains well below the statewide average of $0.1606 among Texas community college districts, according to college data cited in its October 2025 rate announcement.

How to participate

Residents who want to speak at the Sept. 16 meeting must submit a registration form at LoneStar.edu/BoardCitizenRegistration by 10:25 a.m. that day. In-person speakers will be called to the podium. Zoom participants will be unmuted during the public comment session.

The board is expected to hold the public hearing and vote on the final tax rate in early October. The full meeting agenda will be posted at LoneStar.edu/Board three business days before the Sept. 16 session.