Today, a coalition of advocates for sound tax policy called for the Legislature to give significant property tax relief to Texans during the special session. The group — comprised of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute, and Americans for Tax Reform— said the Legislature has at least $5 billion it can use to lower Texans’ tax burden. In recent polls, 82% of Texans said property taxes are a serious issue and 7 out of 10 said they would be upset if the current legislative session ended with nothing done to lower their property tax bill. The coalition released the following joint statement:
“The property tax burden is crushing Texas families, forcing them out of their own homes, and making it exceedingly difficult for them to afford other necessities, such as education and health care. Texans cannot afford to wait until 2023 for the Legislature to address these issues. Not only is the burden too high, but the system is designed to allow insatiable local governments to keep squeezing every last dime out of taxpayers. The good news is the Texas economy is resilient and is bouncing back after the government-induced economic shutdown. The Legislature was able to pass a conservative Texas budget without using any revenues from the Rainy Day Fund and still has a significant surplus. It should continue its positive trend of fiscal responsibility by cutting property taxes and providing real relief to Texans who need it most. The Texas Legislature should make the most of the time it has left in the special session to address this critical issue.”
The Texas Public Policy Foundation has released its “Lower Taxes, Better Texas” plan, a two-pronged approach that cuts property taxes nearly in half and redesigns the system to protect taxpayers and grow the economy. The plan will not only give taxpayers immediate relief, but will also make structural changes to our system that prevent year-to-year spikes in tax bills and rein in irresponsible local government officials.