The Texas Legislature may finally be preparing to cut your property taxes. Here’s how
It’s that time of the year, when we all begin to receive our “blue love notes” in the mail. I’m referring, of course, to your appraisal district notice, which begins the process to determine how much you pay in property taxes.
As you know, your tax bill comprises various taxing entities including the city, the school district, the hospital district, and the county. I am proud of the fact that, since I joined the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in 1997, we have lowered your property tax rate by 13.5%. In fact, of the six urban counties in Texas, Tarrant County continues to have the lowest combined (county and hospital District) property tax rate.
Then why are you still paying more in property taxes,? Tarrant County remains one of the fastest growing regions in the nation, and as a result, property values continue to rise. While a declining property value is nothing to seek, rising values mean that, even if the property tax rate decreases, property owners can still pay more on their bill.
There are signs that the Legislature is considering meaningful change: paying more to fund schools, which could finally reduce local tax bills.
For years, politicians have claimed that local governments are responsible for increasing property taxes without doing the hard work to fix systematic issues. And, for years, I have explained to anyone who would listen that the Legislature is the government that can provide actual, real, meaningful property tax relief.
At every State of the County address I have given for the last six years, I have pointed out that the Texas Constitution states: “It shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.”
But since 2010, your local property taxes have paid more into the school system than the state has.
The Texas Taxpayers and Research Association released a report April 1 demonstrating that state property tax legislation from 2019 may have somewhat constrained the growth of property taxes. But property taxes still went up.
In 2021, school maintenance and operations, districts’ main tax, accounted for 41.2% of all taxes levied in Texas ($30.1 billion, according to the state comptroller). If the state used other tax revenue instead of property taxes to fund schools, Texas would no longer be in the top 10 highest property tax states. Your individual tax bill would be cut by more than 40 percent.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Joan Huffman have rightly identified this as a policy item worth exploring. The leadership of the Texas Senate should be commended for charging the committee, between legislative sessions, with studying the issue and reporting on “proposals to use or dedicate state revenues in excess of the state spending limit to eliminate” school districts’ maintenance and operations tax.
This is a great first step. But the committee should expand its charge and find whatever steps are necessary to eliminate that tax altogether. It is my hope that Huffman, a senator known for rolling up her sleeves and accomplishing great things, and her colleagues will give this subject the attention it deserves.
After 25 years in public service, I have never seen the state with so many resources. The upcoming legislative session will be the opportune time to finally give citizens a break and keep the Texas economy rolling.
By eliminating the school district maintenance and operations property tax, we can drastically reduce property taxes and keep Texas the greatest state in which to live, work and raise a family.
