Fort Bend County's property tax rate for the coming year hangs in legal limbo after a visiting judge declined to immediately rule on whether interim County Judge Daniel Wong can lawfully hold office.

Judge Jeth Jones of Galveston County heard roughly an hour of arguments July 23 at the Fort Bend Justice Center, then took the case under advisement. "This is very complex and complicated," Jones said, according to the Fort Bend Independent. "I'll take this up as soon as possible."

No ruling had been issued as of Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The delay matters for Missouri City and Stafford homeowners because the county's two Democratic commissioners, Grady Prestage and Dexter McCoy, have refused to attend meetings since June 25, saying County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson advised them Wong lacks authority to preside. Without them, the five-member Commissioners Court cannot meet the four-member threshold Texas law requires to levy a tax. The county's budget calendar sets Aug. 27 as the deadline for a record vote proposing the 2026 tax rate.

What's at stake locally

Fort Bend County's combined property tax rate is $0.422 per $100 of taxable value. Missouri City homeowners pay that on top of the city's $0.570825 rate. Stafford levies no city property tax, making the county rate the largest single line on most Stafford homeowners' tax bills.

If the standoff persists past the deadline, state law provides a safety net: under Tax Code Section 26.05(c), the rate automatically defaults to the lower of the no-new-revenue rate or the prior year's rate. Taxes cannot spike. But the county would lose the ability to set its own rate or adopt a new budget on schedule.

How the dispute reached this point

Jones suspended former County Judge KP George on April 10 and appointed Wong to serve until George could return or a successor was elected. George had been convicted of felony money laundering in March, sentenced June 16 to 180 days in jail and five years' probation, and has appealed.

The civil lawsuit prompting Wong's appointment was filed in 2025 by county resident Sarah Roberts. She dismissed it June 17, the day after George's sentencing. That dismissal triggered the current fight: Smith-Lawson argues Wong's appointment expired with the lawsuit; Wong's camp says the Commissioners Court's unanimous April 23 vote affirming his appointment through Dec. 31, 2026, settled the matter.

At the July 23 hearing, Roberts' attorney Dylan Russell argued the appointment order "automatically vacates" once the underlying case is dismissed. Wong's attorney Chris Hilton countered that the court no longer has jurisdiction and called the effort "a politically motivated attempt to use the legal system to gain advantage in the November elections."

Jones appeared skeptical of Russell's position, asking why he needed to act given the commissioners' unanimous vote. He did not rule from the bench.

Two cases, one question

The dispute is playing out in two courtrooms. The hearing before Jones concerns whether his original April 10 order remains in effect. Separately, Smith-Lawson filed a quo warranto proceeding in the 400th Judicial District Court, where Judge Ed Krenek granted leave to file on July 14. That case asks directly whether Wong holds office lawfully.

Mark Jones of Rice University's Baker Institute told Houston Public Media on July 16 that the situation is "uncharted territory" for a county Fort Bend's size.

What comes next

Wong continues to function as county judge. His official county judge account on X was posting government business as of Aug. 4. He is also the Republican nominee for county judge in November and will face McCoy, the same Democratic commissioner boycotting his meetings.

The next critical date is Aug. 27, when the Commissioners Court must propose a tax rate by record vote or cede that decision to the statutory default. Whether Prestage and McCoy return likely depends on a ruling from Jones or progress in the quo warranto case.

Missouri City and Stafford officials did not respond to requests for comment on how the county standoff could affect local services.