Property Tax

Gov. Perry raises prospect of tax rebates for Texas residents
AUSTIN -- With top state officials forecasting a budget surplus as high as $15 billion next year, Gov. Rick Perry will likely call for a round of tax cuts that could include cash rebates to Texas residents, Perry's Spokesman said Wednesday. "The governor believes that with a surplus of this size, we need to find a way to give tax relief to hardworking Texans," Robert Black said. "The question is whether it should be in the form of additional property tax reduction, lowering the business tax, cutting the sales tax or actual rebates like the federal government is doing." [ View Article ] May 8, 2008, 08:35

Building Texas "The Tax and Budget Primer"
Good Read! Planning for our future is essential. What are our goals? What public systems do we need to meet those goals? What will these systems cost? How do we raise the money? Together, we must answer these questions. And just as a smart builder uses good engineering principles to build a home, we should look to good fiscal principles in building Texas. A good budget is balanced. A good budget promotes future economic prosperity through investments in public structures that create opportunities for all Texans. A good budget sets aside money when times are good to provide Texas families protection when times are tough. A good revenue system contributes to economic growth. A good revenue system relies on diverse sources for stability. A good revenue system draws upon the strongest parts of our economy while requiring all of us to contribute based upon our ability. In recent years Texas has departed from these principles. But change is in the air. We sense a growing willingness to take a longer look, to think about what we need for a prosperous future, to get back to sound planning. We offer this primer as a tool for understanding where we are today and what it is going to take to create a place of opportunity and prosperity for all Texans. [ View Article ] May 8, 2008, 08:31

Oil prices help Texas rake in $10.7 billion surplus
Surplus or Shortfall - AUSTIN — The nation may be on the verge of a recession, but the Texas economy is doing well enough for Comptroller Susan Combs to predict Tuesday that the Legislature will have a $10.7 billion surplus when it convenes in January. Much of the extra money can be attributed to record oil prices. While motorists are being socked with ever-increasing gasoline costs, oil and gas employment in Texas has been booming, the comptroller's office reported. [ View Article ] May 7, 2008, 08:35

Secretary of State sets record straight on May 10 ballot
Secretary of State Phil Wilson said he received in recent days many inquiries about a statewide proposition to provide school tax relief to elderly or disabled taxpayers. Voters will find no such proposition on their May 10 ballot. "Information being circulated across the state regarding a constitutional amendment election to provide school property tax relief is inaccurate," said Wilson, the state's chief elections officer. "Texans are heading to the polls to cast votes for many important initiatives and races, but there will not be a statewide proposition on the ballot." Early voting for the May 10 elections began April 28 and ended May 6. Comment: I have recieved several of these erroneous emails, also - js [ View Article ] May 7, 2008, 08:35

Editorial: Appraisal flaws in downtown Dallas
When the city of Dallas launched efforts to buy land for a convention center hotel, officials weren't looking to make a larger point about the state's faulty appraisal system. But the city's experience has exposed fundamental flaws in a process that too often lets commercial property owners off easy when tax bills come due. Texas is one of the few states that don't require disclosure of real estate sales prices. The absence of that essential information means that appraisal districts are flying half-blind, trying to assess commercial properties without seeing comparable sales in the area. [ View Article ] May 7, 2008, 08:31

HOTZE: Perry should lead business tax repeal
It is high time for the Republican leadership in Texas to confront the brutal facts: The party is in deep trouble and faces the distinct possibility of being resoundingly rejected by Texans in the upcoming general election in November. A recent nationwide Wall Street Journal/NBC poll demonstrated that the Republican Party is viewed positively by only 27 percent of the populace. By comparison, the Democratic Party has a 44 percent positive rating. [ View Article ] May 6, 2008, 08:31

Lawmakers work to halt rising property taxes
AUSTIN -- Gov. Rick Perry didn't have much luck at it two years ago, but House lawmakers are hoping their property tax committee this year will produce results that keep homeowners' taxes from rising. A 13-member committee of legislators will spend the months between now and January conducting hearings and preparing recommendations for ways lawmakers can control property tax bills and keep appraisals from creeping upward. "The House is committed to doing everything it can to provide meaningful and responsible property tax relief to those who are strained by the burden of soaring taxes," Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, said when he appointed the committee last week. Lawmakers cut school property taxes from $1.50 to $1 per $100 of property tax valuation in 2006, and they are worried about increasing property values and higher local taxes eating away Texans' savings. [ View Article ] May 5, 2008, 08:35

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