Tarrant County’s Democratic commissioners skip meeting to prevent vote on lower tax rate

Tarrant County’s two Democratic commissioners didn’t show up at Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting, blocking the passage of a new tax rate and leading to retaliation from the Republican majority.

Democratic Commissioner Roderick Miles Jr. has criticized the proposed tax rate, saying it’s so low that it threatens funding for county services — particularly his employees, who he relies on to serve his constituents. The proposed budget limits the size of each commissioner’s staff, meaning Miles and his fellow Democratic commissioner Alisa Simmons would have to lay people off.

Only three commissioners came to Tuesday’s meeting, and four are required to pass a new tax rate. Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare proposed an amendment to the fiscal year 2026 budget to slash the Democrats’ staffs