*** Click here for the audio version.*** A law passed in 2019 amended the Tax Code to allow taxpayers to contest their appraisal and only pay the undisputed amount of their taxes until resolution. When contested appraisals involve high-value mineral interests and industrial plants, the difference between the proposed value and their estimates is left to be contested … [Read more...] about Support for Expedited Process to Protect Consistent and Predictable Tax Rolls
CJCAT
Federal Health Care Funding Cuts
*** Click here for the audio version.*** The December 2025 column warned of the coming reduction in funding for federal health care programs. It outlined the likely impact on county indigent health care programs and rural health care availability. Unfortunately, that funding reduction has arrived. Under Chapter 61, Health and Safety Code, a county without a public hospital … [Read more...] about Federal Health Care Funding Cuts
Voting in Elections: A Fundamental Right and Duty
*** Click here for the audio version.*** Elections are the signature trademark of a democratic republic. The framers of the U.S. Constitution recognized the importance of guaranteeing the right to elect our representation. Consistent with the concerns over concentration of power, Article I of the U.S. Constitution assigns the responsibility for elections to the states, not the … [Read more...] about Voting in Elections: A Fundamental Right and Duty
Resolution Spotlight: Communicating With the Texas Legislature
Throughout the last several legislative sessions, certain legislators have continued their efforts to obtain legislation to prohibit local officials and their nonprofit associations from communicating with the Texas Legislature, said CJCAT Senior General Counsel Jim Allison. “Using the term ‘taxpayer-funded lobbying,’ this legislation would bar local officials from expending … [Read more...] about Resolution Spotlight: Communicating With the Texas Legislature
Annual State Conference: Bringing Texas Together in Waco
*** Click here for the audio version.*** If you attended one of the County Judges and Commissioners regional conferences this year, you already know what is waiting for us in Waco. You have experienced education, the exchange of ideas, and perhaps most importantly, the fellowship that happens when county officials come together. Now, it’s time to bring all of our regional … [Read more...] about Annual State Conference: Bringing Texas Together in Waco