Free Republic

GALVESTON — County leaders on Monday backed legislative proposals to curb property appraisal increases, but added a condition of their own. County Judge Jim Yarbrough proposed an amendment to ask state lawmakers to stop handing down unfunded mandates if they’re going to hinder the county’s ability to raise revenue. Several bills before the Legislature would lower the cap on homestead appraisals from 10 percent to 3 percent or 5 percent. Commissioner Ken Clark, the sole Republican on the commissioners court, proposed the resolution. It calls for support of a 3 percent cap on homestead appraisals. The cities of Bayou Vista,...

FRIENDSWOOD — A group had a pep-rally of sorts at a Friendswood pizza parlor Tuesday to encourage support for Gov. Rick Perry’s proposal to limit increases in taxable property values to no more than 3 percent annually. The group released what it said were numbers showing government officials do not pay their fare share when it comes to property taxes. Edd Hendee, a radio talk show host and executive director of Citizens Lowering Our Unfair Taxes, released figures indicating that the property values of Friendswood Mayor Kimball Brizendine, City Manager Ron Cox, council members such as Mel Measels and Laura...

State lawmakers this year are considering several proposals to lower the cap on property appraisal increases, and local officials have begun to take sides. Many others will be asked to do so by County Tax-Assessor Collector Cheryl Johnson. She asked city leaders of Friendswood, Galveston and the county commissioners court to endorse a proposal to lower the cap on homestead appraisal increases from 10 percent to 3 percent a year. What that would mean is the owner of a $100,000 home would see no more than a $3,000 increase in a single year, as compared to up to a $10,000...

Texas DOT Meeting On I-45 Expansion The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will conduct a public meeting for the proposed expansion of Interstate Highway 45 from Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Tollway) to FM 518 in Friendswood. The purpose of this meeting is to gather public input on the proposed expansion. The meeting will be structured as an open house, and the public is invited to attend any time between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 11, 2002 at Clear Brook High School, 4607 FM 2351, Friendswood, Texas. Exhibits will be displayed and representatives from TxDOT...