Governor Greg Abbott is rolling out proposals he hopes will reign in property taxes.
The plan would cap property tax revenue growth at two-and-a-half-percent; something the governor says will protect private property rights and make sure Texas stays the most exceptional state in the nation.
“Texas now has one of the highest tax rates in the entire nation,” Abbott said Tuesday. “Since 1997, property taxes in Texas have increased by 195 percent.”
“Young families just starting out are having trouble being able to afford their very first home and businesses are struggling to grow and hire workers because of rising property taxes,” he added.
Voters would have to approve anything above the cap. The proposals also require locally elected officials to vote on property tax appraisals increases.
“When these taxes go up, they never go down. As values go up, tax rates need to come down and the problem is in Harris County they don't. And in many areas of the state they don't,” says State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston.