AUSTIN, TX – The House Committee on Ways & Means this week was issued an interim charge to “review aspects of the property tax system that contribute to rising property tax levies and taxpayer dissatisfaction.” Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Local Governance Director James Quintero, Center for Economic Freedom Senior Policy Analyst Kathleen Hunker, and Center for Fiscal Policy Economist Dr. Vance Ginn issued the following statements on the interim charge on property taxes:
“Property taxes in Texas continue to grow much faster than people can afford” said Quintero. “From 2000 to 2013, property tax levies grew by 101 percent while population and inflation rose just 70 percent. That enormous gap helps explain how more and more Texans are losing their homes, why many small businesses are going bust, and why seeing long-lasting reform achieved next session is absolutely critical. Clearly, the Texas House recognizes that taxpayers are ‘dissatisfied’ with the status quo and are eager for change.”
“Texas’ property tax system offers little opportunity for public oversight,” said Hunker. “More than 4,000 localities have the power to levy taxes, and those localities are quick to use that uncertainty to hide who is responsible and where the money is spent. Texans pour their heart and soul into their homes. It’s a great relief that the Texas House has decided to take action and protect Texas homeowners from being bled dry from a thousand cuts.
“Failed past attempts to provide long-term property tax relief prove that Texas needs more than just tinkering around the edges of the nation’s 14th worst property tax system,” said Ginn. “We applaud the Texas House for tackling this rising burden that amounts to about $1,600 per year from every man, woman, and child.”
To read the Foundation’s latest research on Texas’ property tax burden, please visit: http://txpo.li/1Wx0WeQ
For more information or to request an interview with Quintero, Hunker, or Dr. Ginn please contact Caroline Espinosa at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
James Quintero is Director of the Center for Local Governance at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Kathleen Hunker is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Center for Economic Freedom at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Dr. Vance Ginn is an economist with the Center for Fiscal Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.