These Are All the Ways Texas Could Fix the Broken Property Tax System — But Probably Won't

Yes, I'm disappointed with the property tax bill under consideration that pretends to fix a broken system.If passed, we'll have more tax-increase voter elections. Just what we need in Texas. More elections.So much more should be done to fix a system that's unfair, arbitrary and varies from county to county, even though it shouldn't.Then I remembered that thousands of bills were introduced into the 2019 Legislature before this week's deadline. Many are proposals for smart property tax improvements. But most likely, they'll get scant attention and die a quiet, unnoticed death.With the help of the Texas Association of Realtors, which compiled a list of property tax bills that were introduced, I'm going to list some of the best ones below. You can see which ones you like.HB means House Bill, and SB means Senate bill. If you want to know more, you can look them up at Texas Legislature Online.In my next column, I'll share tips and strategies about how to get in touch with your state lawmakers and suggestions about what to say.Keep in mind that for most of these bills, unless you can help push them to the forefront though public pressure, this story may be the only publicity they get this year.Although most of the consumer-oriented bills The Watchdog focuses on come from the House, Senate Bill 2 is the main property tax bill introduced by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston. In addition to calling for elections if governments want to raise taxes by more than 2.5 percent in a year, it also seeks some reforms. Creates a property tax advisory board for long-term improvements. Makes sure tax rate information is easily available to the public and requires "real-time" adjustments when governments alter their tax rate. Requires changes to tax protest hearings and calls for the creation of appraisal manuals to standardize the process from county to county. SB 1428 from Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, gives the public the power to go to district court to force appraisal districts to follow state rules and regulations.SB 1429 from Hancock extends the deadline for filing for an arbitration hearing (after a tax protest hearing decision) from 45 to 60 days.  Continue reading...