[Ro_Thunder]

These are the three biggies, I see - and I'm opposed to two, and for one. Essentially, Prop 2 and Prop 3 call for a state property tax, as I read it. Perhaps there's a lawyer in the group who would be able to tell me otherwise. Prop 11 is a good thing - in that I don't believe the government should be able to take property from one person - and give to someone else for a private enterprise. Our country was founded on religious freedom, and individual property rights.

[null and void]

See also Kelo V City of New London...

[Charles Martel]

I'd have to see more of the statutes or code articles that numbers 2 and 3 are intended to augment or revise. If this is totally new law, I agree - it does sound like a state property tax structure. On the other hand, it may be intended to address some county-level irregularities where ad valorem taxes are already being collected.

More digging is definitely in order.

[sockmonkey]

Bookmark

[PAR35]

Prop 11 is a good thing - in that I don't believe the government should be able to take property from one person - and give to someone else for a private enterprise.

Number 11 looks to be a worthless, 'feel good' piece of political pandering. The 'urban blight' loophole is big enough to allow for pretty much any redevelopment project - including one along the lines of Kelo.

[freekitty]

I am being taxed way to much on property tax as it is now. Why do I want this?

[ShadowAce]

I’d like a good explanation of these proposals.

[a fool in paradise]

Texas election ping

[Rocky]

Here’s what my state rep, Charlie Howard, has to say about proposed amendments 1, 2, and 3 (from his newsletter):

Prop 1: This amendment would authorize cities and counties to issue bonds or notes to finance acquisition of buffer areas to prevent encroachment and to fund the construction of roadways or infrastructure to protect and promote the military installations. There are many military bases in Texas that provide tremendous economic benefits to the state, as well as to the counties and cities within which they are located. The billions of dollars in payrolls and federal investment related to these bases are in danger of being lost due to continued encroachment by development around the military installations.

Prop 2: The amendment would allow the Legislature to require residence homestead property to be taxed solely on the basis of its value as a residence homestead, regardless of whether the residential use is considered to be the highest and best use. Currently, the Texas Constitution provides that no property of any kind shall be assessed for property taxes at greater than fair market cash value, nor shall any board of equalization of any governmental or political subdivision or taxing district fix the value of any property for tax purposes at more than fair cash value. However, residence homesteads throughout the state have experienced increasing appraisal values, in some instances more than 200 percent in one year, due to an appraisal practice known as “highest and best use”. This widely accepted standard allows homes to be valued based on the property’s potential use rather than the property’s current use. This practice creates the potential for skyrocketing appraisal values for residence homesteads located near new commercial development.

Prop 3: The amendment would give the legislature full discretion to prescribe the manner of the enforcement of uniform appraisal standards and procedures. The appreaisal review board is the current forum for administrative enforcement, and the district court is the current forum for judicial enforcement of uniform appraisal standards and procedures.

Based on these descriptions, I am for 2, and I need to check into 1 & 3 a little further before I make up my mind. I’m not sure of the motivation for 3. I would like to hear pros & cons. And I would want to be sure that we aren’t getting into another round of eminent domain issues with Prop 1. I can see heading off development by acquiring undeveloped property. But if someone has already built on the property, I am not so keen about authorizing the government to confiscate the property.

[bad tranny]

Check this out... These are parts of the current Texas constitution article 8: --------------- (a) Taxation shall be equal and uniform. (b) All real property and tangible personal property in this State, unless exempt as required or permitted by this Constitution, whether owned by natural persons or corporations, other than municipal, shall be taxed in proportion to its value, which shall be ascertained as may be provided by law. (i) Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the Legislature by general law may limit the maximum appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes in a tax year to the lesser of the most recent market value of the residence homestead as determined by the appraisal entity or 110 percent, or a greater percentage, of the appraised value of the residence homestead for the preceding tax year. A limitation on appraised values authorized by this subsection: [cut] (HERE'S THE GOOD PART) Sec. 1-e. Abolition of Ad Valorem Property Taxes. No State ad valorem taxes shall be levied upon any property within this State. --------------- That last one (Sec. 1-e) is pretty clear. The additions to this article on the ballot for Nov. really do seem to limit what the local tax assessors can do to substantially increase property taxes.... To "provide for" statutes so that taxes are measured "solely on the basis of the property's value as a residence homestead" as well as "uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for ad valorem tax purposes." Yes, I changed the language in the last paragraph, but in the context of a constitution that clearly says "No State ad valorem taxes shall be levied upon any property within this State" I can't read these two propositions to mean homeowners get to pay a new state property tax. When they try to remove Sec. 1-e it's time to worry, but for now I think it's a pretty good thing to keep the counties in check with the proposed changes.

[Professional Engineer]

ping

Reminder to vote HELL NO on the constitutional amendment to turn public universities into “research” institutions which will then immediately forget about educating the students they were originally created to serve.