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Property tax bills may disappoint October 26, 2006 - Posted at 2:12 a.m. Property tax bills have gone out in the mail this month and anyone expecting to pay less because of the tax relief legislation passed by the Texas Legislature this year might be disappointed. The tax rates remain unchanged for the city of Victoria, county of Victoria and Victoria College. The Victoria Independent School District dropped its rate 12.5 cents for each $100 of property value. But property values set by the Victoria County Appraisal District and used to figure property taxes went up an average of about...

AUSTIN -- Faced with the prospect of a court-ordered shutdown of public schools in a gubernatorial election year, lawmakers on Monday completed their task of overhauling the way Texas finances its education system. On the 29th day of the 30-day special legislative session, the final pieces of the school finance puzzle were sent to the governor's desk, where they are expected to be signed into law. The Legislature adjourned for good around 5 p.m. Gov. Rick Perry, who failed in five previous attempts to address the thorny issue of school finance, said success this time could be attributed to his...

Will a state-wide school voucher program save money for the taxpayer? Yes -- School budgets will not increase by $2 million each year since members of the teachers union will no longer be able to demand 3 percent annual raises with each contract through the threat of harming the futures of hostage children by withholding No -- We'd have to ante up for all those kids in Catholic and other non-public schools whose parents have been paying tuitions along with their public school taxes.

The Texas Tax Reform Commission Plan will deliver record tax relief, real tax reform and greater tax fairness for homeowners and businesses. It provides a historic $6 billion property tax cut, and ensures that the state carries more of the school finance load – not local property taxpayers. It reforms the business franchise tax so more businesses pay for our children’s education while lowering the tax rate and maintaining a strong climate for continued job creation. And with a net tax cut of nearly $1.5 billion by the 2007 tax year, this plan will result in more families being able...

DallasBlog talked with John Sharp yesterday in Dallas about the status of the proposed re-structuring of the school finance system. Sharp is Chairman of the Governor’s Commission on school finance. The Commission is expected to officially announce next week the full details of its plans to lower property taxes by one-third paid for by a 1% expanded business franchise tax. Sharp told DallasBlog that the plan would be "revenue neutral" and, in fact, would be an overall tax cut since at least $1 billion in surplus funds would be used to further reduce property taxes. When asked what effect this...

Exclusive: News poll reveals 52 percent willing to pay more in state taxes for education AUSTIN – The majority of Texans, despite being tax leery and skeptical of government spending, are willing to open their wallets to provide more money for public education, according to a new statewide survey. A poll conducted for The Dallas Morning News shows that 52 percent of Texans say they would pay more in state taxes if the money went to schools, while 39 percent oppose an increase. The majority disagree with Gov. Rick Perry and House Speaker Tom Craddick, who have insisted that any...

A new state business tax could offer deductions for hiring and manufacturing in Texas, the head of a panel studying the state's tax structure said Tuesday. Texas Tax Reform Commission Chairman John Sharp said the 24-member committee appointed by Gov. Rick Perry might recommend a new franchise tax levied on gross receipts or some other measure of business activity instead of net income, which the tax now covers. In addition, he said, the committee will not recommend a tax on companies' total payrolls, an idea floated repeatedly in the Legislature over the past two years. "What Governor Perry told us...

Governor Uses Executive Powers To Facilitate Education Reforms- "Today I am issuing an executive order that will put into law some of the most important education reforms that lawmakers failed to pass, including a requirement that 65 percent of all education funds be spent on direct classroom instruction," Perry said. "This executive order will mean more financial accountability for taxpayers, more efficiency in school spending and more money directed to the classroom so that more children achieve." -snip- "While the legislative session has now ended, the need for school reform has not and Texans can rest assured that even though...

The solution to the school finance problem? It's a pretty simple tradeoff. Sell the state Capitol to developers for downtown lofts, and make legislators conduct business in those horrible portable buildings the schoolkids get stuck with. There's no telling the amount of money Texas could raise for public schools by unloading the Capitol. Since the building is exempt from taxes, the Travis Central Appraisal District doesn't bother to appraise it. One downtown developer I talked to agreed with me that lofts at the Capitol would be a big hit and would sell out quickly. "That makes perfect sense to me,"...

House and Senate say they're close, but a deal is far from done. Companies relieved as Senate drops overhaul plan for school finance By Jason Embry AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Tuesday, July 12, 2005 Lawmakers have not yet decided how much they will cut school property taxes or raise consumer taxes, but businesses and their lobbyists seem almost certain to be among the big winners of this year's debate over school funding. The Senate early Monday abandoned its plan to overhaul the state's business tax by tying it to at least 10 percent of a company's payroll and applying it to law...

Don't bet on legalized gambling in Texas Backers say opposition has momentum despite public's support 07:15 AM CDT on Thursday, May 12, 2005 By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN – Forget about hearing the "ka-ching" of slot machines in Texas this year. That's the prediction of most gambling supporters, beaten back by opposition from a coalition of conservative Republicans and anti-gaming Democrats.

Senate approves school finance bills Effect would be real on Texans By Jason Embry AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Thursday, May 12, 2005 The Senate approved a pair of school finance bills Wednesday, boosting the prospects of a final House-Senate agreement on the issue before the May 30 end of this year's legislative session. The plans could affect Texans in a variety ways: everything from the start of school being pushed past Labor Day and sales taxes on clothes being scrapped for one weekend before Christmas, to higher consumption taxes replacing some property taxes. "I've been optimistic since Day One, and I'm even...

HB3 passes without statewide property tax Senate also includes sales-tax holiday, options on business tax By Jason Embry AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, May 11, 2005 The Senate at about 2 a.m. today approved a major shift in state taxes, but only after changing two key components of the bill. Senators approved House Bill 3, which cuts school property taxes while raising consumption and business taxes with a 21-10 vote. Today they’ll take up the second half of school finance reform, House Bill 2, which rewrites the formulas used to determine school funding, increases teacher pay and toughens regulations on charter schools...

AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst angrily accused some top business groups of spreading false information about the Senate's tax plan Tuesday, and he issued them a stern warning: It's time to start paying your fair share. "There are a lot of lobbyists running around the Capitol today that are interested in protecting special interests and loopholes in the [tax] law," Mr. Dewhurst said. Noting that five of six businesses don't pay the state's current franchise tax, he added, "That is called a loophole." ....... My favorite part: To make his point, Mr. Dewhurst cited a prominent Houston law firm...

The "conservative" Texas state legislature is on the verge of throwing away years of hard work. A new Texas state income tax--in disguise--looms on the horizon. Two years ago, state Republican officials were faced with a $10 billion budget deficit. Despite intense and unrelenting pressure from special interest groups, Texas legislators successfully balanced the budget with reduced spending rather than increased taxes. They did something that politicians rarely do: They stood firm for small government principles. They refused to cave in to political pressure. They laid the foundation for a strong and healthy economy in the state of Texas. Republican...

A Texas school finance overhaul plan unveiled Wednesday would cut property taxes by one-third and raise the salaries of teachers. The measure would add $6.7 billion for public schools. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced the plan on the second day of the legislative session, saying the measure has the support of all 31 state senators. The plan is touted as closing loopholes in the state franchise tax, which is the state's main business tax -- forcing all businesses except sole proprietors to pay a tax. Other money for schools would be generated from a combination of a higher sales, motor...

Another day, another squabble as Perry-Strayhorn fight continues. By Ken Herman and Michelle M. Martinez AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Thursday, April 22, 2004 Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, dabbling in subject matter a tad sexier than the usual daily number crunching, said Wednesday that the state should shut down all topless bars by prohibiting them from selling alcoholic drinks. The proposal is the latest in what have become daily Strayhorn attacks on Gov. Rick Perry's proposed school finance package. The Perry plan, aimed at drumming up more money for public schools while reducing property taxes, includes a proposed $5 admission surcharge at...

In Austin, as the Texas Legislature begins its special session, there are many options to help fund education, such as closing the franchise tax loophole and increasing state taxes on cigarettes. But the idea of expanding our state lottery to include video lottery terminals (VLTs) is a risky gamble that should be rejected. When it comes to relying on gambling to help finance education, Texans still remember the broken promises of more than a decade ago when we were sold a Texas lottery as the ideal method to generate revenue for schools. Texans embraced the idea at the polls, hoping...

Perry calls special sessionLawmakers will work on school finance reform09:31 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 13, 2004From Staff Reports AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry, still missing the consensus he was looking for, called today for lawmakers to gather in special session next week to fix Texas' broken system of paying for public schools. Mr. Perry announced that both houses of the Legislature would convene next Tuesday. Special sessions can last up to 30 days, although the governor may call as many sessions as he wants. "Since the implementation of the Robin Hood school finance scheme, the brightest minds in Texas...

Governor says increases relate to voluntary behavior and fairness By Ken Herman and Michelle M. Martinez AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, April 9, 2004 SAN ANTONIO -- Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday proposed a plan he said would allow Texans to smoke, gamble and ogle their way to better schools and lower property taxes. In addition to increasing levies on cigarettes, adding a $5 tax on admission to topless bars and placing slot machine-like lottery machines at parimutuel tracks, the Perry plan would end a popular tax dodge for many Texas businesses and force many Texans to stop lying about how much...