Appraisal and Revenue Caps: The Line Has Been Drawn

No matter how hard we have worked in the past, there are those who won’t let the issue of appraisal caps and revenue caps go away. The governor has already said that he will include both issues on the call for the special session to resolve school finance anticipated in April. A new approach that will give the issue added emphasis is being tried.
The State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) meeting in Austin on Dec.10, 2005, voted almost unanimously to have four non-binding referendums added to the Republican Primary ballot for Republican voters to consider on March 7. Two referendums deal with the caps issue which has failed passage in the Legislature, in spite of the unqualified support of the governor, during the last couple of regular sessions and the several special sessions during 2003 and 2005.
The ballot language is simple and compelling for most voters. I suspect that an overwhelming majority of Republican voters would support a referendum that places restrictions on the further growth of the appraised value of their homes and also restricts the amount of money that government can spend. The average Texan would ask, “What’s wrong with that?” The fallacy of the propositions is that they do not inform the voter of the consequences of adopting them. Many of those who voted to add these issues to the ballot may be unaware of the long-range impact on the future of Texas.
The only alternative that those who understand the implications of these measures have is to try to educate the public. Without a media campaign, this is an uphill battle, and there is no organized group with the funding that can compete with the simple logic that “an appraisal cap or revenue cap will keep my taxes down.”
One might think that the timing is the result of a well-planned strategy, but I doubt it. The proposal was presented at the SREC meeting apparently without opposition. The timing of the referendums is coincidental, but could not have been selected for better impact. The vote will take place on March 7, and within a few weeks, perhaps just three weeks later, the governor will call a special session of the Legislature to deal with school finance. The caps issues will be on the call, and Republican legislators will be hammered repeatedly with the referendum vote results.
Most Republican legislators will have a difficult time voting “No” on caps when a large number of their constituents have already spoken on the issue and said “Yes.” Also, these same legislators would have to disregard the opinions of their own SREC members who voted for the referendums. This would create a difficult position for Republican legislators who may understand the issue, but feel compelled to make a political vote.
Local governments can only rely upon the good judgment of their legislators. Now is certainly the time to meet with legislators and explain the new problems that such legislation would create for Texas. Space in this short column does not permit me to go over the impact of such legislation in detail, but I am certainly willing to try to help anyone who contacts me to understand the problem.
This issue is of utmost importance to all Texans. It will affect more lives than almost anything else with which the Legislature can deal. Let’s not stand idly by and let this happen. It may not affect our lives personally, but it will certainly affect the lives of our children and grandchildren. The line has been drawn. Let’s be counted on the right side. By State Representative Fred Hill