Power Trips: Who should regulate property tax rates? Give us your take.

This callout is part of our Power Trips series, a tour of Texas’ local control battles. Previously, we asked Texans what they thought about the fight over bathroom regulations.

An issue that has often led to tensions between the Texas House and Senate is also the next stop on our Power Trips series exploring local control issues: property taxes.

The latest debate before the Texas Legislature is whether local governments should hold automatic tax rollback elections when collections rise more than a certain amount — say, 4 percent or 6 percent. Under current law, such elections aren't automatic; voters can petition for them when property tax revenue increases by 8 percent over the prior year. 

City and county leaders say an automatic election on tax rates could limit their ability to fund services that residents expect. And many officials — including some state lawmakers — say the required election provisions moving through both chambers during this summer's special legislative session won't actually cut individual tax bills. 

But a recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows voters overwhelmingly support limits on their local property tax increases. Which brings us to you.

As part of our ongoing effort to engage people directly affected by state policy, we’re conducting video interviews to learn more about how Texans feel about property taxes and and the people who set them. To participate, fill out our short form. We may contact you for an interview or include your take in an upcoming story. You can also message us Facebook video responses at m.me/texastribune.

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