Time for Tax Relief

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Time for Tax Relief

What to Know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is signaling his willingness to use surplus state revenue to help buy down property taxes for Texans.

The TPPF Take: We have a plan to do just that.

“Over the last 20 years, property taxes have increased 81% faster than the average taxpayer’s ability to pay for them, contributing to too many Texans struggling to pay bills and keep their home,” says TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “Our Lower Taxes, Better Texas plan will help Texans by eliminating local maintenance and operations (M&O) property taxes in a revenue neutral way by no later than 2033.”

Pay No Attention to that Tax Hike

What to Know: A Texas Association of School Boards implies that Tyler ISD’s $89 million bond package won’t spur higher taxes—because the tax rate won’t increase.

The TPPF Take: There’s no such thing as a free lunch—or a free $89 million bond package.

“Pro-bond advocates use sleight of hand to trick voters into supporting more debt and higher taxes. They sell voters on the idea that new debt can be paid for without increasing the tax rate. What they fail to mention, however, is that property values are soaring and that holding the tax rate steady in the face of rising valuations is a recipe for higher taxes,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “In today’s market, tax rates should be coming down dramatically. Anything less means officials are raising taxes.”

Mask Mandates

What to Know: Pressure is building on President Biden to end mask mandates on airplanes and in airports.

The TPPF Take: President Biden’s Transportation Security Administration is the last holdout on masks.

“But the truth is—and has been all along—masks on planes were never necessary,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “The Journal of the American Medical Association reported this in 2020. Because of the way the air is filtered, an airplane is about the safest place you can be in a pandemic of an airborne virus.”