TX Republican Proposes State Property Tax

The Laredo Morning Times | 3-23-02 | AP

[snowfox]

That's easy. Cut spending, admittedly a foreign concept to legislators

[deport]

Thanks..... That's one problem in Texas, imo, is the multiple Independent School Districts per county. Thus you have duplication in all areas for each district from the supt. down. The county I live in has 7 Independent School districts. Some of the districts are rural and have very little in the way of property tax base except piney woods, thus they struggle whereas some are very heavy with petro/chemical plants and are much better off.

But I have no beliefs that anyone of them would give up their control to merge with another. We did have one go bankrupt and was attached to another district.

[LaGrone]

Talk of a State Income Tax has been political suicide in Texas. You would think Perry and Ratliff would have better sense.

Perry should have nipped that idea in the bud when it was brought up. If he wants to lose, that is the sure way to do it. Whoever lowers my tax rate gets my vote.

[oldtimer]

You are absolutely correct! The Texas Education Agency is a bastion of bureacracy and rats. They work constantly with the NEA to figure out ways to explain the lack of reading and writing skills, and then demand that local school districts hire more administrators to help with anything but teaching.

While Gov. Perry is now under the gun with the hispanic vote, and while Ratcliff is our new rino, I just hope that they don't give the two socialists Morales/Kirk a US Senate seat this November.

[jackbill]

It is my understanding that they are in a fiscal crunch...... revenues are down.....what are they supposed to do?

Have you ever heard of "Cutting Spending"?????

[lonestar]

Ratliff is seeking re-election to his Senate seat from a heavily Democrat area of the state and will not be the lieutenant governor in the 2003 session. He is regarded as the state budget expert in the Senate.

He is regarded as an idiot in my part of the state.

[lonestar]

the burden is directly on the local taxpayers and it is hurting the elderly tremendously...

In Texas, everybody over 65 is exempt from school taxes.

[Night Hides Not]

I'm really getting concerned about Perry. If he thinks that he's got a cakewalk in November, he better get that thought out of his head.

I really hope this thread doesn't disintegrate into generational bickering. I've seen some posts from senior-Freepers bitching about property taxes going for schools. Let me remind those of you that feel that way that these are the people who will be paying your SS and Medicare benefits in not too many years.

Here's my perspective from where I live: my kids are in the Coppell district. Last year, I paid over $4,000 in school taxes, of which about $1,000 went somewhere else in the state, thanks to the Robin Hood system. This district consistently ranks among the best in the state, and accomplishes it at a cost of about $6,500 per student. The classroom sizes generally average 16-18 kids per class. All in all, I think the administration has done a pretty good job.

When we moved up here 6 years ago, the quality of the school district was our biggest concern. Generally, we've been very pleased with the education our kids have received. The district is extremely competitive, which can lead to marginal students falling through the cracks, if the parents don't get involved. The parents here are very involved, and that has to be a factor in the continued success of this district.

Regarding the tax issue, I'm really PO'ed that IN EVERY CASE, these politicians look at increasing taxes first, without a thorough attempt to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.

I just count my blessings that I live in Texas. The legislature only meets on a biennial basis, which gives us a breather every other year!

[Night Hides Not]

In Texas, everybody over 65 is exempt from school taxes.

Are you sure about that? I thought that when somebody turns 65, their property taxes are frozen, i.e. they can't be increased from that point on.

If you're right, and that word got out, we'd have more geezers down here than illegal aliens!!!!!!! I can just see Georgetown and other retirement communities turning into metropolitan areas before the next Social Security check is paid!!!!!!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I couldn't remember if the over 65's were totally exempt or if their taxes froze at the rate they had at age 65..... thanks for the info........

[deport]

Your school property taxes are frozen when you reach 65 yrs of age if you file for the expemtion. In the past it became effective the Jan after you turned 65, but a recent change allows it to become effective the day you are 65.

[oldtimer]

You are wrong. Everybody over 65 is exempt from INCREASES in their school 'existing' school taxes. Most school taxes are maxed or almost maxed to State law.

But this saved me enough to send FreeRepublic some money.

[SolidSupplySide]

>>Many complain about its provision preventing school districts from raising taxes for maintenance and operating budgets to over $1.50 per $100 property valuation.<<

Notice the key words here: maintenance and operating budgets.

Many districts have rates above the state maximum of $1.50 by budgeting the taxes for other purposes. This is particularly true for suburban districts.

Pearland, in suburban Houston, has a tax rate of $1.82.

I'm not a fan of property taxes. As a supply sider, I see property taxes as taxing two factors of production (land and capital) more than the third (labor). Of course this destroys wealth through malinvestment. A sales tax or flat income tax would be better.

[Theodore R.]

The Laredo Morning Times has endorsed Sanchez for governor, but I believed in endorsed Bush in 1998 and 2000.

[Theodore R.]

Attorney General John Cornyn is a mystery to me. He trounced Jim Mattox in 1998. Yet we never see him. It is hard to know that he is the GOP senatorial nominee this year. All the attention is on the Democrats. Both Cornyn and Perry have never lost elections, but they sure seem to know how to LOSE this year the way they are acting.

[oldtimer]

"All the attention is on the democRATS",

Let's go back to the basics: #1 The libs run the media which adds to the next one. #2 It is time for a lib(rat) to represent Texas in the US Senate. #3 It has been an outrage that that we haven't had a rat in the Senate for a long time.

Then I heard today on something from a Hispanic rat from Kalifornia that in our Republican primary that not one of ten Hispanics won a nomination for a Republican statewide office in Texas.

Adding up to a serious BLINK folks!

[sinkspur]

Sink, what does the Supt in Dallas ISD receive in annual salary if you know.

Mike Moses gets a quarter of a million dollars a year.

He has, according to all measurements, done a fantastic job. All segments of the ethnic population praise him, immensely.

Moses was Bush's Education Commissioner.

[deport]

that not one of ten Hispanics won a nomination for a Republican statewide office in Texas.

Not sure there were 10 Hispanics running in the Republican Primary for statewide offices.... The Governor, Comptroller, Ag. Commissioner, Railroad Commissioner, were all unopposed. TxSC Judge Rodiguez lost his bid . You may look at the following and see if you see 10 races statewide with Hispanics that lost.... Republican Primary Results

[deport]

Thanks.... The local Supt here, Dr. Carrol Thomas interviewed for the job. He's paid about that figure here I think, maybe just a little under. A large salary for a district with just 21,000 students....

[lonestar]

I went to the tax office to check because my mother got a notice she owed nothing. They said it was correct. That was school taxes only.