Property Taxes

[Old Hat]

Property taxes in Southeast Texas are rising faster than the water. Many property owners are receiving notices from the appraisal districts claiming value increases of over 100%. Some homeowners or business owners are seeing value increases of over 1000%. This has been happening in Jasper County for a few years, and it seems to be spreading into others counties since one county was able to get away with it.
Now, State Representative James White is trying to come to our rescue. He surely will face great opposition from the county and state agencies that allowed this to happen. After all, the county gets their revenue from these taxes. The appraisal district that is collecting these taxes gets paid with these taxes. The county commissioners and powers who create the budget are paid by these taxes also. They will fight him tooth and nail, at least behind the scenes.
Mr. White will need much support from his constituents in order to battle the powers that be. They have been spoiled by landowners serving as their money tree for years. Now Mr. White wants to stop the madness that has ran unchecked for too many years. This battle may be yours next. Your county. Your state.
Please contact Mr. White by phone, by email, or by his Facebook page. He needs our support. Without his efforts, there will come a day when our family land will be sold because of unaffordable taxation. If you want to keep your land and property now is the time to stand up. If you want to be "taxed" off your property and leave your children and grandchildren nothing then continue to pay their increases year after year and tolerate their constant "re-evaluations".
Please contact State Representative James White and encourage him to continue this cause.
Phone # 1-409-283-3700
[email protected]

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have him on speed dial and have raised heII

 

[Tim/South]

Our property taxes have gone down, which is unheard of. The state passed a law mandating yearly property values and they inched up during the boom before the recession. When the recession hit the law backfired and year after year real-estate prices have fallen.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Good luck with the tax fight. We had a SPLOST tax that was supposed to come off this year. The county had to put it on the ballot to keep it effective and use it as a education tax. The people spoke and the tax stayed. The government is going to tax us out of our lifestyle. The more civil servants that retire the more that get hired, with full benefits of course. Everyone wants the milk and honey it seems. All government employees are over paid especially the teachers. IMO How many firemen and police do you know that have two jobs? Most of us that are self-employed worked to hard and to many hours to have two jobs.
NO NEW TAXES

 

[ga.prime]

Whether appraisal values stay the same or even go down doesn't matter. Property taxes will continue to go up because they'll just increase the millage rate.

 

[hurleyjd]

And I thought the repubs that run Texas never raised taxes.

 

[Caustic Burno]

And I thought the repubs that run Texas never raised taxes.

County government in East Texas is predominantly dem.
I will let you figure out out why
hint all the public housing tends to be in the county seat.
Wonder who was smart enough for that one. The people that pay no taxes are happy to increase your burden.

 

[TexasBred]

My taxes haven't gone up in 3 years. But you have the right to gather all of your information and get an appointment to appear before the board of equalization and argue your case for reduced values on properties. I know several who have done this last year as well as this year and had values reduced considerably. They will take as long as we allow them to. Most of these so-called appraisers working for central appraisal districts have zero credentials to do the work they are doing.

 

[hurleyjd]

And I thought the repubs that run Texas never raised taxes.

County government in East Texas is predominantly dem.
I will let you figure out out why
hint all the public housing tends to be in the county seat.
Wonder who was smart enough for that one. The people that pay no taxes are happy to increase your burden.

Wood County is in east Texas and is 100% repub. And taxes go up each year.

 

[Caustic Burno]

The farther south you go the bluer it gets. POTUS wide they will go red with the exception of Jefferson county is blue to the bone.

 

[Old Hat]

I agree with true grit farms and caustic burno on their points. But both political parties are crooked, but the democrats are just more crooked. And Texas has no property tax, it is the counties that are doing this to us. True grit is right. Jasper county employees get over a two dollar match on their 401k. Taxpayer abuse , plain and simple.

 

[D2Cat]

In Kansas the tax appraiser goes over each property every 4 years. If you disagree with the appraisal you can bring the information you have as evidence to argue with, and may even win and get a reduction....But then next year you'll be right back there again. They'll wear you to a frazzle.

 

[TeeJay]

Here in Nebraska, we just received a notice that ours would be going up 30%.... claiming that our rural appraisal are far below the national average.. nothing grinds my gears more than lousy excuses! To me, its all about the how the county is ran.. if you cant keep your books, then figure something out! As ranchers we cant get away with just trying to sell our cows at a higher price. doesn't work that way. But with the government, you can just take it apparently.

 

[TexasBred]

I agree with true grit farms and caustic burno on their points. But both political parties are crooked, but the democrats are just more crooked. And Texas has no property tax, it is the counties that are doing this to us. True grit is right. Jasper county employees get over a two dollar match on their 401k. Taxpayer abuse , plain and simple.

The commissioner's court and county judge set the rate and approve the county budget. All are elected officials. Sounds like time for a house cleaning.

 

[Old Hat]

You are right TexasBred but you have to outnumber those county officials, their families, the people they keep on the payroll, etc. To vote out those officials and put someone in who is financially responsible would mean massive layoffs of county employees and reducing the budget. Its hard yo outvote all those in my county. People have tried and failed. A commissioner told me " we can't lay people off...they are our friends and family". So the taxpayers get to pay and the officials get to hire their friends and family. Isn't that sweet?

 

[TexasBred]

Old Hat I know what you mean. Easier said than done. I'm sure it's a lot more common than most of us are aware of.

 

[Caustic Burno]

You are right TexasBred but you have to outnumber those county officials, their families, the people they keep on the payroll, etc. To vote out those officials and put someone in who is financially responsible would mean massive layoffs of county employees and reducing the budget. Its hard yo outvote all those in my county. People have tried and failed. A commissioner told me " we can't lay people off...they are our friends and family". So the taxpayers get to pay and the officials get to hire their friends and family. Isn't that sweet?

Welcome to east Texas politics
Come over to Tyler if your road is rocked somebody "important" in the county lives on it and the rock will end at their drive. Over here if your in county government or considering running you have to be affiliated with the "right" church.

 

[TexasBred]

CB that is so sad but 100% true in too many cases.

 

[Old Hat]

In my county you have to be a mason. I ain't knocking em, cause I know some good ones but the truth is the truth.

 

[Old Hat]

Don't nobody get your drawers in a knot....my best friends are masons...but I give em heck just for fun.