With the pre-filing of bills, state leaders and legislators are outlining their priorities for this legislative session. A lively discussion has already begun concerning the proper utilization of the state revenue surplus, estimated to exceed $30 billion. Gov. Abbott has proposed that 50 percent be dedicated to property tax relief. Lt. Gov. Patrick has indicated support for a lesser amount. Special interest lobbyists are scrambling to ensure that special consideration is provided to their clients. Counties and their taxpayers need to be fully engaged in this issue.
For several years, the state budget has failed to include sufficient funding to meet state responsibilities. Counties have been compelled to increase property taxes to fulfill these obligations. These property tax increases have been especially onerous as the population of TDCJ inmates, state mental patients, and juveniles have been left in county jails and juvenile facilities for extended periods. The costs of these state responsibilities have been imposed on county budgets and tax rates without any reimbursement.
To seek reimbursement of these mandated costs, the Commissioners Courts, county auditors, county sheriffs, and juvenile probation departments need to calculate the annual costs of these facilities on local taxpayers. There are legislators prepared to seek payment for these unfunded mandates, but they need our assistance. Please prepare a report of the costs of these items and forward it to your legislators with a copy to me. With the current surplus, this is the best opportunity to seek relief from these state-imposed property tax increases.
The pre-filed bills already confirm that we will need to defend against additional attempts to limit local decision-making and local control. Bills are being filed to silence communications from county officials and their associations and reduce county discretion over budgets and revenue. We will report the progress of legislation and appropriation through the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) listservs. Please ensure that you have an email address registered with TAC for this service.