Most Texans want lower property taxes and support lowering the appraisal cap on homesteads – or on all property. Here is the view from the Texas Association of Counties (your tax dollars at work) of the Ways and Means hearing this week on property tax caps.
”…So many county officials signed in against the appraisal cap bills on Wednesday that one committee member quipped there must have only been five counties not mentioned in the long list of names read opposing the bills.
”Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley testified against the bills, with Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Betsy Price testifying to answer committee members’ questions regarding the effective tax rate and the fact that counties do not receive a windfall from the supplemental rolls after all protests have been settled.
”Rural county judges met at the Capitol that morning, and many later attended the hearing, signing in to officially oppose the bills, as did Dallas County Commissioner Mike Cantrell who planned to testify but found himself caught in another committee at the time.
”The Texas Association of Counties, County Judges and Commissioners Association, Texas Conference of Urban Counties and Texas Municipal League joined the individual county officials in opposing the bills, as did representatives of business and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
”… We will keep you posted regarding further action on these bills, as well as the upcoming committee schedules regarding appraisal reform and revenue cap bills.”
You may recall, TAC is the organization that is paying former Local Ways and Means Chairman Fred Hill as much as $200,000 a year to lobby the legislature. We don't know when he stopped working for his constituents and started working for TAC, but he had the lobby contract in hand as he left the legislature Jan. 13. In addition to the TAC contract, he also has contacts from other taxing entities totalling well over a half-million dollars a year.
Your tax dollars at work - working against you.
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