Preserving Old Galveston
Restore what we have instead of building over it.
Our old homes are what people come here to see, and a lot of us grew up in one. Many of them need a new roof, a foundation or new wiring. The city already has a tax break for that kind of work. Almost nobody can reach it.
Today you have to spend at least half of what the building is worth before the city will help. On a house where the building is worth $400,000, that is $200,000 of work. So the repairs wait, and old buildings get left for someday.
This plan makes two changes to that program. One big job can start a tax freeze, and the freeze ends when the property sells. The city keeps collecting what it collects today.
© 2026 Raymond Arce · Concept first published October 17, 2026
Twenty seven seconds
The whole plan, quickly.
If you own a home in a historic district or a Galveston Landmark, start here. It covers the rule today, the two changes, and what they mean for your city taxes.
Everything in it is on this page in writing.
The rule today
Substantial Rehabilitation for Historic Properties.
City Council adopted this program on July 23, 2015. It is part of the city’s Financial Incentives for Historic Properties. Here is how it works now. You have to spend 50% of the improvement value on the property to achieve a 10-year tax freeze, which equates to a savings of only a few thousand dollars over a period of 10 years.
The process today: the Historic Preservation Office reviews the plan, the Landmark Commission approves it before work starts, the Commission checks the finished work and the receipts, and City Council gives the final approval. This plan keeps every one of those steps.
The plan
Two changes. Nothing else.
The same rule for homes, rentals and businesses. The same review, the same receipts and the same Council vote as today.
Every 10% buys a freeze
Each 10% of the building’s value you spend buys 4 years, up to half. After that, each 10% buys 2 more years. The longest freeze is 30 years.
| You spend | City tax freeze |
|---|---|
| 10% | 4 years |
| 20% | 8 years |
| 30% | 12 years |
| 40% | 16 years |
| 50% | 20 years |
| 60% | 22 years |
| 70% | 24 years |
| 80% | 26 years |
| 90% | 28 years |
| 100% | 30 years |
The freeze ends when the property sells
It does not go to the buyer. The owner who did the work gets the break.
When you sell, you get the chance to earn back what the work cost. So the city’s tax break ends there.
Today a freeze can pass to a buyer. Under this plan it cannot.
Many families fix up their home one job at a time. Under this plan, one big job, like a new roof, can start a freeze. On a house where the building is worth $400,000, $40,000 of work starts a 4-year freeze.
What an owner could save
Every step, from 10% to 100%.
One example: a house where the building is worth $400,000. These are city taxes only.
$50,000 - $82,600
Saved over 30 years with $400,000 of work. The low end is if values stay the same. The high end is if they keep rising like they have since 2018, and the city lowers its tax rate to match.
| You spend | Work on a $400,000 building | Freeze | Saved if values stay the same | Saved if values keep rising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $40,000 | 4 years | $700 | $1,500 |
| 20% | $80,000 | 8 years | $2,700 | $6,200 |
| 30% | $120,000 | 12 years | $6,000 | $13,500 |
| 40% | $160,000 | 16 years | $10,700 | $23,000 |
| 50% | $200,000 | 20 years | $16,700 | $34,400 |
| 60% | $240,000 | 22 years | $22,000 | $42,500 |
| 70% | $280,000 | 24 years | $28,000 | $51,500 |
| 80% | $320,000 | 26 years | $34,600 | $61,100 |
| 90% | $360,000 | 28 years | $42,000 | $71,500 |
| 100% | $400,000 | 30 years | $50,000 | $82,600 |
These are estimates, rounded to the nearest $100, and they assume the owner keeps the property for the whole freeze. The first column holds values and the city’s tax rate where they are today. The second assumes values rise about 10% a year and the city lowers its rate to match. The rate used is $0.416273 per $100 of value, the no-new-revenue rate Council adopted for the 2026 tax year. Single-family values in the Galveston school district grew about 11% a year from 2018 to 2025, per the Texas Comptroller’s property value study. Past growth is not a promise. If you find a figure here that does not hold up, write me and I will correct it on this page.
The cost to the city
The city keeps what it collects today.
While the freeze is on, the city gets the same tax it gets now. It only waits on tax from the new value, and the owner created that value. When the freeze ends, the city taxes the fixed-up building.
Without the incentive
Old buildings get left for someday.
With a program like this
Owners fix them up now, and our historic homes get back their original beauty.
The work pays the island right away
$120,000 of work on one $400,000 home goes to local contractors, workers and suppliers. Materials bought here also pay sales tax.
Day one
The schools, the county and the college tax the new value starting the first year. Only the city waits.
Before you answer, be clear on what this is
No new tax, and no new program.
This changes the rules of a tax break the city already has. It does not touch school, county or college taxes. Nothing changes until City Council votes on it, after the Landmark Commission, the City Attorney and city staff review it.
This is not a scientific poll and I will not present it as one. It is a comment card. I read them.
In their words
What neighbors are saying.
From the comment cards on this page. A comment goes up here only when the person who wrote it says it can.
The first one could be yours.
Leave a comment in the card above and check the box that says I can share it.
Questions and answers
Your questions, answered.
Does the city lose money?
No. While the freeze is on, the city gets the same tax it gets today. It waits on tax from the new value. When the freeze ends, it taxes the fixed-up building.
Will my taxes go up to cover it?
No. The fixed-up building keeps paying what it pays now. Nothing is shifted to anyone else.
Does this lower my school or county taxes?
No. The freeze covers city tax only. The schools, the county and the college tax the new value right away.
Which buildings can use it?
Buildings in a local historic district, and Galveston Landmarks. In a district, the building must be listed as Contributing or Compatible.
What work counts?
Work that helps the building last: roof, foundation, siding, wiring, plumbing, heating and air, and the structure. Inside work can count when it comes with structural work.
Does my own labor count?
Yes. Work you do yourself can count toward the total.
How do I apply?
Call the city’s Historic Preservation Office at (409) 797-3660. The Landmark Commission approves your plan. When you finish, you show your receipts. Then City Council gives the final OK.
Can I start work before I apply?
No. Get your plan approved first. The program checks the plan before any work begins.
My project is already approved. Can I switch?
No. The new rules apply to projects approved after Council adopts them. Projects already approved finish under today’s rules.
What if I sell?
The freeze ends when the property sells. It does not go to the buyer.
Why does the freeze end when I sell?
When you sell, you get the chance to earn back the cost of the work. So the city’s tax break ends there.
What is the longest freeze?
30 years, if you spend as much as the building is worth. It still ends if you sell.
What if the building is torn down or gutted?
The freeze ends. The owner does not pay back the tax that was frozen.
Is this legal?
Yes. The Texas Constitution and the Tax Code let cities do this. The City Attorney would check the final wording.
The authority
The laws that allow it.
Texas Constitution, art. VIII, §1-f
Lets cities give tax breaks to save historic buildings.
Tax Code §11.24(a)
Lets a city cut taxes on a historic building. It sets no minimum amount of work.
Tax Code §11.24(b)
Once you have the tax break, the city cannot take it away without your OK or 5 years’ notice.
City of Galveston
The 2015 city program. This is the only rule that changes.
Our neighbors to the northwest have a similar plan. In Austin, homes spend 25% of what the building is worth, and rentals and businesses spend 40%. Their break lasts 7 years for homes and 10 years for rentals and businesses.
What Council would do
Two changes, one vote.
First, every 10% of a building’s value spent buys 4 years, up to half. After that, each 10% buys 2 more, up to 30 years. Second, every freeze ends when the property sells.
Cost to the city: nothing it collects today. Before the vote, the Landmark Commission, the City Attorney and city staff review it.