Over the past two decades, local property taxes have grown by leaps-and-bounds compared to the state’s population growth, according to a new report from the Texas Comptroller’s office.
Consider that from 1992 to 2010, the total tax levy increased by 188 percent. Broken down according to the type of local entity levying the tax, school district property taxes increased 164 percent; city property taxes jumped 192 percent; county property taxes rose 229 percent; and those property taxes levied by special purpose districts increased a whopping 263 percent.
In stark contrast, the state’s population increased by only 42 percent during the period. And inflation increased just 55 percent.
Clearly the system is out of whack, and Texans are in need of property tax relief. So the question is: What is the legislature prepared to do about it?
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