The latest property taxes news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas lawmakers tried to lower property tax bills during their 2019 session, and a new report says they put a dent in the problem: Taxes aren’t rising as quickly as they would have. But they didn’t solve it: Property taxes are still rising. Full Story
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State lawmakers will tell you they hate property taxes as much as anyone. But the state itself doesn’t levy the tax — local governments do. And lowering it in a meaningful way would require state officials to raise taxes or cut programs. For them, talking about it is easier than doing something. Full Story
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Twenty-five states, including California and New York, preceded Texas in getting federally backed programs up and running to help homeowners suffering financial hardship because of COVID-19. Full Story
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If two propositions pass, the state will increase school funding to make up for revenues lost from a decrease in property taxes. Full Story
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Most voters approve of using state money to add border barriers between Texas and Mexico. But 57% disapprove of a new abortion law’s provision allowing lawsuits against people who help someone get the procedure. Full Story
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Unofficial results show that Texas voters approved eight amendments to the state Constitution. Full Story
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High Texas property taxes were an issue in the state's 2018 elections, and you can see from their work on a new homestead exemption earlier this week that state lawmakers didn't forget that lesson from voters. Full Story
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If voters approve the measure next year, it will raise the state’s homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000 for school district property taxes, netting the average homeowner about $176 in savings. Full Story
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Republican lawmakers have faced pressure to provide some form of property tax relief this year. Critics of a new proposal say it’s politically timed. Full Story
Collier says his 2018 close call against Patrick was no fluke. Next year, he’s out to prove that his campaign can make a real challenge to the two-term incumbent. Full Story
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Tax relief for property owners joins a packed to-do list for Texas lawmakers — which includes redistricting, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and a spending plan for $16 billion in federal stimulus dollars. Full Story
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Abbott has faced pressure from his right to prioritize property tax relief. One of his challengers in the Republican primary has slammed him for not including it earlier in the agenda, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called it his top priority this session. Full Story
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Chapter 313, a decades-old law designed to lure companies to Texas with property tax breaks, expires in 2022. Lawmakers looking to renew it face opposition from critics who say it's unfair to many Texas schools. Full Story
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It's an old and bittersweet story in Texas: Property values rise, local property tax revenue rises and the state government spends less on public education. Full Story
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School openings, government hearings, going to bars, voting, shopping, even the doings at the Texas Capitol hinge on the same issues: whether it’s safe to gather, and how to go about it. Full Story
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Local governments in Texas finish their spending plans and set their tax rates in August, an annual exercise that includes some hot topics in this pandemic year, like police spending, public schools and property taxes. Full Story
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Moving local elections because of the pandemic might seem unremarkable. But it gives voters a rare chance to instantly grade elected officials' handling of a pandemic and a bad economy, as well as their response to cases of police brutality. Full Story
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Many Texas property owners are sweating potential increases in their taxes, which are based on property values that don't reflect a pandemic, an oil price collapse or a slumping economy. Full Story
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This week's drop in crude oil prices signals trouble for state and local government budgets. Energy isn't the biggest source of tax money in Texas, but the big one — the sales tax — is already falling. Full Story
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The coronavirus disaster could have a side effect in a seemingly unrelated area: New limits on increases in local property taxes can be suspended when disasters strike. And epidemics, under state law, are disasters. Full Story
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