(The Center Square) — The Harris County Commissioner’s Court has increased taxes by an historic amount to fill a projected $180 million shortfall. Last Tuesday, the commissioners voted 3-2 to “adopt the highest county property tax rate in modern history in a bid to bridge a morethan $180 million projected budget deficit,” the Houston Chronicle reported. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, who has been proposing tax cut measures in the state legislature, said the proposed tax increases were the second highest in modern history. The county property tax increase pushes ...