Tax Department

Clear Lake City Water Authority’s (CLCWA) taxable property is under the jurisdiction of Harris Central Appraisal District (Appraisal District). Property taxes are based on the January 1st market value of your property as determined by the Appraisal District. The Appraisal District maintains all records which includes ownership, mailing address, exemption(s), and property description. Please notify the Appraisal District (713-957-7800) or obtain forms at their website (www.hcad.org) with any change in ownership or mailing address.

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Each spring, the Appraisal District issues notices of appraised value. The appraised value of a property is determined by a certified appraiser from the Appraisal District, not CLCWA tax office. You have until May 15th (or 30 days after the date of the notice, whichever is later) to protest the value you have been given for your property. Renditions for personal property must be filed with the appraisal district each year by April 15th to avoid a 10% rendition penalty.

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After the Appraisal District certifies the appraisal roll, the Board of Directors for Clear Lake City Water Authority holds a public hearing, usually in October, and adopts the tax rate. Tax statements are then printed and mailed to property owners who pay their own taxes, mortgage companies, and tax service providers. Mortgage companies and tax service providers must request tax statements annually. If the mortgage company or tax service provider requests the tax statement, the tax statement will be sent to the requester, not to the property owner. Homeowners with an escrow account who receive a statement should send the statement to their mortgage company and include their loan number. Tax statements may be printed and paid online at https://www.texaspayments.com/101200. (You may use any eligible credit card, debit card, or bank account to pay your taxes.)

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Texas Property Tax Code Sec 31.01 states that failure to receive a tax statement does not change the due date or waive the penalty and interest. It is the property owner’s responsibility to know when taxes are due and the taxing authorities that will be taxing the property.

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The tax office does not contact mortgage companies about delinquent taxes. A mortgage company can use our website to print a statement or check the paid status of an account. If your mortgage company will no longer be paying the property tax, please notify the tax office so the mortgage code can be removed. This allows the tax statement to be mailed to the property owner. If you are no longer operating your business, the Appraisal District should be notified to prevent the taxes from continuing to be assessed. If you or your business has moved, please notify the Appraisal District of the change. Harris Central Appraisal District: 713-957-7800. Forms can be obtained at www.hcad.org.