By the time this column is published, schools will have started, the weather may be somewhat cooler, most of us have completed a tentative budget, and most of all, I hope the Texas Legislature has gone home. With my term as your president drawing to a close, I have had a few moments to think about the past year for our Association. This being a legislative year, we had many … [Read more...] about From the President
CJCAT
Anatomy of an Unfunded Mandate
An unfunded mandate is a requirement imposed upon counties without an appropriation by the state. The primary legislative objective of the State Association is the prevention of unfunded mandates. Legislators have an unending supply of “good ideas” without funding. Every session, we successfully defeat numerous bills with proposed unfunded mandates. Despite our … [Read more...] about Anatomy of an Unfunded Mandate
Message from the President
Summer is almost over, and school will begin soon. According to my grandchildren, some students hope there will not be a new school finance bill so they will not have to go back to school. Others will be really upset if they miss one day of school. Some are sad, and some are glad. I know how they feel. At the time of this writing, there has been some movement on the … [Read more...] about Message from the President
Senate Bill 18 Changes Property Tax Notice And Hearing Requirements
Secretary of State Williams has declared that SB18 by Sen. Williams/Rep. Ritter has immediate effect. Therefore, these new requirements will apply to the tax notice and hearings for this year if the proposed tax rate will exceed the effective tax rate. Notice. The content of the newspaper notice of the tax rate hearings has changed. If the county has a Web site, the … [Read more...] about Senate Bill 18 Changes Property Tax Notice And Hearing Requirements
From the President
At this writing, the 79th Legislature is still in session. I was thinking there for a while that I might have some very good news for you county leaders. I was hoping that the finance caps bill would fail, but instead it was suddenly tucked underneath the skirt of the school finance bill. I cannot for the life of me try to guess at this time what the outcome will be of this and … [Read more...] about From the President