LA MARQUE – The City of La Marque says it is cooperating with the Texas Attorney General’s Office after receiving a letter questioning the city’s compliance with Senate Bill 1851, a new law that took effect September 1, 2025.

SB 1851 requires cities to complete an annual audit within 180 days of the fiscal year’s end in order to adopt a property tax rate higher than the no-new-revenue rate.

In a statement, La Marque officials said they do not believe the city is in violation of the new statute. The city’s legal counsel, bond counsel and finance advisors reviewed the law and concluded that it applies beginning with the 2026 tax year, since Texas tax years run January through December.

“The law does not apply to the 2025 tax year and is not currently in effect for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget,” the city said. La Marque adopted a tax rate of $0.4185010 per $100 valuation for 2025.

The city said it will provide all documentation requested by the Attorney General’s Office and emphasized its commitment to “transparency, legal compliance, and responsible fiscal management.”

Residents can review La Marque’s finalized and council-accepted financial audit for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 at finance.cityoflamarque.org.

For additional information, residents may contact the City Manager’s Office at 409-938-9211.