Will call special session to end Robin Hood, put 3% cap on assessment increases
By GILBERT HOFFMAN
HOUSTON Governor Rick Perry came to town, to announce a new tax initiative which he believes will end the increases in tax bills that property owners have received every year, and will change the way school districts are funded, so that property rich districts no longer have to share their wealth with poor districts.
These changes would be revolutionary, and according to Perry would provide Texans with real property tax relief, and protect them against skyrocketing property tax increases in the future.
Perry, in an animated presentation before a sympathetic tax reform crowd at the Bayland Community Center, said Texans were told a property tax cut was on the way in 1997, but when they opened their bill many found that their rate cuts were offset by appraisal hikes. I want a tax cut to be a tax cut, not a sleight of hand where the end result means Texans pay more.
Had we implemented a revenue cap in 1997, tied to inflation and population growth, Texans could be paying about 20 percent less in property taxes today, Perry said.
On hand to bolster his arguments were Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt, grass roots tax cut leader and radio personality Dan Patrick, and County Commissioner Steve Radack, all Republican supporters of Perry.
To ensure property appraisal fairness and accuracy, Perry said, Texas also should require disclosure of real property sales pricesas some Texas appraisal districts and 35 other state already do.
Perry said his plan also addresses local entities budget concerns by promising an end to unfunded mandates from the state.
In response to a question from the Northeast News, Perry said that he would call a special session in the next two months to formulate the details of the plan.
Perrys plan also included a 3% cap on homestead appraisal increases each year, an elected rather than an appointed appraisal board, and limits on increases in local government budgets, pegged to inflation and population growth, with the previous year as a base. Any additional increase would require a voter referendum.