CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
Gary Borders Texas Press Association
A total of $18 billion in property tax cuts were approved by more than 80% of voters in the November general election and should be reflected in property tax bills that are due by Jan. 31. The cuts come in the form of increased home exemptions, lower school district rates, and limiting the amount property appraisals can rise.
Many taxing districts sent out bills before the election that factored in the decrease, anticipating voter approval. For example, in Gregg County in Northeast Texas, the tax bill noted on the back sheet that the lower amount was contingent on voter approval of the proposed amendments. If the amendments had not passed, taxpayers would be billed for the difference.
According to the state comptroller’s office, a typical homestead valued at $350,000 will see a tax savings of about $1,000.
Prior to the approval of the tax cuts, Texas ranked sixth highest in the nation in property tax rates, partly because the state does not have a state income tax.
PAXTON IMPEACHMENT COST TAXPAYERS $4.3 MILLION The Dallas Morning News reported last week that the taxpayer cost of impeaching Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was more than $4.3 million. More than two dozen lawyers worked to prosecute Paxton leading up to and during his two-week trial in the Senate. That chamber acquitted him of all 20 charges after the House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Paxton, who is under indictment for securities fraud and was accused of abuse of office.
Lawyers billed more than 7,800 hours related to Paxton’s impeachment, The News reported after seeking copies of all invoices and related documents. Co-counsel Dick DeGuerin defended the amount of work done by attorneys.
“Everything we did was justified, and I won’t retreat from that statement ever,” DeGuerin said. “We presented strong evidence that Paxton just surrendered the power of his office in a corrupt way. It’s just that his financial supporters threatened retaliation against the Republicans that would have voted for conviction.”
Paxton has vowed to campaign in the Republican primary against House members who voted for his impeachment, especially House Speaker Dade Phelan.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Paxton said in a statement released by his campaign. “Whether it’s the House costs, Senate costs, or the overall impeachment session costs, many millions more were incurred on Dade Phelan’s sham and needless impeachment.”
Phelan said Paxton’s refusal to testify before the House on a proposed $3.3 million settlement of a whistleblower lawsuit prompted the investigation that led to the impeachment.
“The investigation, impeachment, and trial of Ken Paxton shed a clear, unflinching light on who Paxton is and the lengths to which he will go to stay in power,” Phelan said in a statement.
Gary Borders is a veteran award-winning Texas journalist. He published a number of community newspapers in Texas during a 30-year span, including in Longview, Fort Stockton, Nacogdoches, Lufkin and Cedar Park. Email: gborders@ texaspress.com.
