Perry's tax-cap plan denounced by leaders

Star-Telegram ^ | Mar. 20, 2004 | John Moritz

[Dubya]

AUSTIN - The Texas Municipal League, which represents more than 1,000 cities and towns across the state, on Friday denounced a proposal by Gov. Rick Perry to hold down property taxes as a heavy-handed attempt to limit the powers of local officials.

"When your trash is not picked up, you don't call the governor," Corpus Christi Mayor Loyd Neal Jr. said during a news conference in Austin as part of the league's effort to stop Perry's proposal to cap local property appraisals.

Loyd, a former league president, and other local officials said the state should allow mayors, city council members and county commissioners to make decisions involving local taxation.

The league is planning to organize its members to fight Perry's proposal, officials said.

Last week when he laid out his proposal to hold down property taxes, Perry said that total statewide property tax levies have increased an average of more than 10 percent a year since 1999, fueled largely by skyrocketing appraisal values.

Perry's plan would cap appraisal increases at 3 percent a year, which he said tracks the average inflation rate for the past dozen years.

Because of the increases in property appraisals, local governments can avoid raising the property tax rate but still increase their income substantially year after year.

Perry's proposal would also limit the property tax money local government entities can raise to the amount from the previous year, plus a growth and inflation factor. It would establish appraisal district boards composed of five elected officials, including the county judge and the mayor of the largest city in the county, who would certify the appraisal rolls.

Voter approval would be required to exceed the revenue cap.

In a briefing for reporters, Perry's chief of staff, Mike Toomey, called the proposal a protection plan for homeowners. Toomey said the holders of commercial real estate have the resources to hire lawyers and challenge high property appraisals, but most residents do not.

"The homeowner doesn't have the advantages [that are available to the owners of large commercial tracts] to fight their appraisals in court," Toomey said.

Perry was in Italy on Friday as part of a weeklong trip to promote economic development.

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, who did not attend the Austin news conference, called Perry's plan "a terrible idea" and said homeowners typically have ready access to their mayors and council members and are not shy about sharing their opinions on city government.

"We are the closest elected officials to the people who elected us," said Moncrief, a former state senator. "We see our folks when we go to breakfast, at various civic events, when we go to church and even to the movies.

"We want to fix public education and do the things that need to be done in a large and growing city," he said. "But you don't do that by capping our ability to raise resources."

But Toomey said that if local officials want to increase taxes beyond the caps outlined by Perry, they should "take it to the voters and ask them, but do it honestly."

[Dog Gone]

"But you don't do that by capping our ability to raise resources."

Resources = my taxes. So kiss my grits, Mayor.

[sinkspur]

All these fat city and county officials are howling like scalded dogs, so you know that Perry's hit a home run with this appraisal cap.

Another smart move on Perry's part.

[Blue Screen of Death]

Corpus Christi Mayor Loyd Neal Jr.

Neal is a slime sucking piece of garbage. He decided to try to keep his lips firmly attached to the public teat by running for County Judge (he is term limited as Mayor). He choose to run as a Republican. He has never had a Repbulican thought in his head, but thought he could take out a long standing real Republican. He lost the primary and the real Republican lost the General. If you want to see how not to run a city, take a look at Corpus Christi.

[Dubya]

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, who did not attend the Austin news conference, called Perry's plan "a terrible idea" and said homeowners typically have ready access to their mayors and council members and are not shy about sharing their opinions on city government.

Mayor Moncrief has never met a tax that he didn't like. He is a nice guy most of the time.

[Dubya]

Last week when he laid out his proposal to hold down property taxes, Perry said that total statewide property tax levies have increased an average of more than 10 percent a year since 1999, fueled largely by skyrocketing appraisal values.

I wonder if this applies to Real Estate Appraisers or just the amount the cities can raise a persons tax.

[Dubya]

I hope you get a Rep next time.

[Mini-14]

As a former Texan who had my doubts about Governor Perry, my faith is restored. Go Governor Perry!

[Dubya]

Perry has yet to win over a lot of us.
This is a move in the right direction IMO.

[Dubya]

I received a card in the mail today fron the Tarrant County Republican Assembly www.tc.org
It says "Why is the UN in Texas?"
"Why do they want Texas Water?"

Anyone know what this about?
Also
"A critical Property Rights Battle That could Determine The Future Of Texas"

[Dubya]

Bills for old taxes embitter residents

By Jessica DeLeón

Star-Telegram Staff Writer


Darell Winstead moved into the Lost Creek Ranch subdivision because he wanted to live in an unincorporated area where he wouldn't have to pay municipal taxes.

Now it turns out he may owe $278 for Fort Worth city taxes he never expected to pay.

Winstead's neighborhood was annexed into Fort Worth in 2000, but the city property taxes were not assessed until 2003 because the Tarrant Appraisal District was never notified of the annexation.

And that has some residents in this 129-home neighborhood near Alliance Airport fuming. The back-tax bills on their new brick homes may run into hundreds of dollars. And they'll face future tax obligations.

"Everyone's really on edge about living here," said Winstead, a regional manager for American Express who moved to the neighborhood in 2002.

Fort Worth City Council members are scheduled to discuss the situation in a closed session Tuesday. City officials have said they will accept installments for the taxes until 2005.

Gary Mendizabal, who moved from Irving to Bandera Ranch Road a year ago, owes $868 in unpaid Fort Worth taxes, according to the Tarrant County tax office Web site. His wife, Ivone, said when they received a letter in January explaining the situation, "We were like, 'Yeah, right.' "

The couple said they don't know where they're going to get the money.

John Marshall, chief appraiser for the Tarrant Appraisal District, said the agency learned of the error in December, when it received a plat of neighboring territory that indicated that Lost Creek Ranch is in Fort Worth.

Betsy Price, Tarrant County tax assessor/collector, said she learned of the annexation in late January.

In a March 4 memo to the council, City Manager Gary Jackson said he didn't know why the appraisal district wasn't informed of the annexations until December. Deputy City Attorney Marcella Olson said the city filed the annexation ordinance with the county clerk's office in December 2000. The city also sent a notice to about 15 other agencies, according to Jackson's memo.

In the future, the city plans to send such notices through certified mail, said Dot Kent, the city's interim public information officer.

City officials said they would give residents until Feb. 1, 2005, to make the payments with no penalties or interest. The tax office will offer installment plans.

"That will alleviate some of the hardship," said Anthony Snipes, assistant to the city manager. "We definitely sympathize with the residents."

Marshall said the appraisal district is trying to work with the residents. He said if homeowners had a homestead exemption in the school or county for 2002, then it will apply for that year.

The appraisal district has not seen a similar mix-up for several years, Marshall said. But it has occurred twice this year -- with Lost Creek Ranch and with 11 homes in the Reagan West Estates subdivision in Hurst.

In Hurst, a strip of land between Hurst and Colleyville had not been properly documented. Eventually, officials ruled that the property is in Hurst.

Olson said she hasn't found other problems related to recent Fort Worth annexations.

"There's no reason to believe at this point that it's an issue beyond Lost Creek," she said.

In Lost Creek Ranch, several residents said they believed they were in unincorporated Tarrant County, although homeowners paid Fort Worth Water Department bills for water, sewer and trash service.

Winstead said residents didn't make the connection. He said they also may have been confused because they have a Roanoke mailing address. Because of an ongoing border dispute between Denton and Tarrant counties, the residents, who live near the disputed region, also were not sure in which county they live.

"We didn't understand what was going on," Winstead said.

Gary Mendizabal said residents have seldom seen Fort Worth police patrolling the area.

Lt. Abbul Pridgen, a Fort Worth police spokesman, said officers have been dispatched to the area, though he did not know how often officers have patrolled the neighborhood.

"Places where there's higher crimes, that's where the resources are allocated," Pridgen said.

For newer residents -- such as Pam Bilton and Becky Jackson -- the back-tax bills are not so high. Both have lived in Lost Creek Ranch for only a few months, and their city property tax bills are about $127 each for 2003.

"We got the good end of the deal," Jackson said.

Still, Bilton added, "It would have been nice to know."

Staff Writer Anna M. Tinsley contributed to this report.

Property tax dispute

More than 100 homes in the Lost Creek Ranch subdivision near Alliance Airport were annexed into Fort Worth in 2000. But some city documents did not reach tax officials, and residents recently learned they may owe taxes for bills they did not receive.

• To find out if you owe city taxes, go to www.tarrantcounty.com, click on "Property tax," then "Account search." Or, call the Tarrant County tax assessor/collector's office at (817) 884-1100.

• Tax officials have said they will set up payment plans for affected residents. The city is giving Lost Creek Ranch residents until Feb. 1, 2005, to make the payments with no penalties or interest.

• For questions about homestead exemptions or appraised values, contact the Tarrant Appraisal District at www.tad.org or call (817) 284-0024.

• For city of Fort Worth information, go to www.fortworthgov.org or call the city secretary's office at (817) 392-6150.

[Tee4Two]

For Texans who are interested, a PAC was formed recently to address the property tax problem and seek a smaller appraisal cap. The organizers of the group have been very active in lobbying the Texas legislature. More information can be found at www.clouttexas.com .

[ThJ1800]

Two things I do not like about this plan:

1. When the state reduces its share of spending for various programs, but does not make any cuts to the program itself, it places local governments in a bind to fund the program. This has happened with education. There is a cap on M&O taxes, which many school are approaching, if they have not reached it already, and the state's share of education funding has decreased steadily over the years. Of course, there is also the issue of unfunded mandates, which some counties are trying make unconsitutional. By requiring local governments to perform certain duties and then reducing their ability to perform those duties by limiting their ability to tax, the state government hurts citizens who expected benefits from these programs.

2. It creates a new bureaucracy.

This is the type of thing which has me favoring Dewhurst's state property tax plan.

[Dubya]

This is the type of thing which has me favoring Dewhurst's state property tax plan

I would favor a State sales tax to fund our schools. That even the Illegals would be paying at least something for their children.

[Dubya]

Thanks for the link. Some changes in property tax in TX need to be made and soon.

[Dubya]

SEVEN FLAGS OVER TEXAS

(THE SEVENTH FLAG IS THE UN)

Tarrant County Republican Assembly

www.tc-ra.org

Calls an Emergency Townhall Meeting

On Wednesday March 24th At Botanic Gardens

7 PM to 9 PM Fort Worth, Texas

WHY IS THE UN IN TEXAS?

WHY DO THEY WANT TEXAS WATER?

COME HERE ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA-IZATION OF TEXAS

&

about the Republicans that are helping the wrong side

A CRITICAL PROPERTY RIGHTS BATTLE THAT COULD DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF TEXAS AND

OUR COUNTRY

AND WE ARE LOSING

Join the following speakers

Texas Republican Assembly State President Stephen H. Hollern,

Texas Eagle Forum President Cathie Adams

And special invited guests Mayor of Marshall, Ed Smith;

Major General Vernon Lewis, U.S. Army retired

[goldstategop]

Texas liberals are whining about getting their wings clipped.

[Dubya]

They sure are.