communityimpact.com By Shawn Arrajj and Christopher Shelton| Posted March 3, 2017
Some Texas lawmakers are prioritizing taxpayer relief this legislative session, which began in January, but local government officials are worried about what it could mean for their budgets.
The main attempt to reform the property tax system this session comes from Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston. Bettencourt filed Senate Bill 2, the Texas Property Tax Reform and Relief Act, on Nov. 29. It was given top priority by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
“Property taxes are driving people out of their homes and hampering business expansion and growth,” Patrick said.
Among other goals, SB 2 seeks to lower the property tax revenue cap for cities and counties from an 8 percent increase over the previous year to an increase of 4 percent. If a city or county were to exceed the revenue cap, a rollback election would be triggered that would give voters the chance to approve or reject the rate.
Officials with Harris and Montgomery counties and the city of Humble have expressed concerns about how SB 2 could restrict future budgets, which fund public safety, economic development and transportation projects.
“What is the city’s option if we need the money and we go out and have an election and it [doesn’t pass]?,” Humble City Manager Darrell Boeske said. “We have to layoff people or cut services.”
THE CALL FOR REFORM
Bettencourt, who serves as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Property Tax Reform, hosted a series of town hall meetings across the state in 2016.
“Whether it was homeowners testifying that they are unable to keep up with their property tax bills, small-business owners seeing their hard-earned profits go out the window, or big businesses testifying that they are locating new plants and taking jobs out of Texas due to high property taxes, they are all saying that property taxes are rising too fast,” Bettencourt said.
https://communityimpact.com/houston/lake-houston-humble-kingwood/at-the-capitol/2017/03/03/texas-lawmakers-file-legislation-reduce-property-tax-bills/
