14 Property Tax Code Proposed Solutions

  1. 0:46 Exemption Improvements
    • Cap taxable value growth on homesteads to 5% maximum increase per year
    • Create a single-family residential exemption capping taxable value growth at 10% per year
  2. 6:23 Improve accessibility to free help
    • Turn "may" into "shall"
    • Sec. 6.16.  RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER ASSISTANCE. (a) The chief appraiser of an appraisal district may maintain a list of the following individuals who have designated themselves as an individual who will provide free assistance
  3. 7:44 Define permissible grounds to recall a CAD board member
    • Amend section 6.03 L to include a provision that says: Must provide "permissible grounds for a recall."
    • For reference. Commentary on the bill when it was passed in 1985. See the section on pg 2 "Opponents say". #1 concern is that no reasons are given. 
  4. 10:19 Require Tax Entities to provide accurate contact info to CAD's
    • When Tax Entities report tax data to the county website as required by the new statutes, require them to provide accurate contact information for voting members of the Tax Entity
  5. 11:54 Protect homeowners from tax deferral revocation. If a homeowner's mortgage is sold from one lender to the next, the new lender may revoke the owner's property tax deferral. Protect them with one of these options:
    • Prohibit a homeowner from getting a deferral if they have a mortgage
    • Create a "Truth in Deferral" statement clearly disclosing the danger in getting the deferral to the owner
    • Prohibit a lender from revoking a tax deferral if it was approved by the previous lender
    • Prohibit assessor from foreclosing if the owner of the property was previou7sly granted a deferral
  6. 16:27 Encourage/allow CAD's to use the common terminology
    • Terminology is used by CAD's that don't align with the common usage of the terms. A law needs to be passed to allow/encourage appraisal districts to use terminology that doesn't match the tax code for clarification purposes. Terminology in conflict: Market value, appraised value, taxable value, assessed value
  7. 19:48 Eliminate loopholes in CAD board of director voting system
    • When electing a new CAD board of directors, the largest entities must vote at their 2nd meeting after the voting window opens
  8. 22:17 Create term limits for CAD board of directors
    • Appraisal District board of directors must have a maximum term limit of      years
  9. 23:28 Make it easier for notices to be sent electronically. I will have specific suggestions soon.
  10. 25:11 Make it so that property owners and the CAD can go back the same number of years to correct an error. Currently, CAD's can correct an error over the past 5 years and owners can only correct an error over the past 2 years.
  11. 26:09 VALUE RATIO STUDY INTRODUCTION     27:17 Value Study Ratio: Window of sales
    • Currently, the window of sales that CAD's are held accountable to are from July of the previous year to July of the current year, however, they must produce their report in January of the current year. This forces them to project high. The window of sales should be adjusted to be from January of the previous year to January of the current year.
  12. 29:16 Value Study Ratio: Improve tolerance levels
    • Currently, the tolerance level that CAD's are held to is 5% +/- the market value. This tolerance level should be adjusted to be 5% over or 10% under.
  13. 31:14 Value Study Ratio: Eliminate Alternative Sales Test 
    • The "Alternative Sales Test" tolerance is currently set at 3%. This criterion should be removed.
  14. 34:32 Agricultural exemption Change from 5 to 1 year
    • Require agricultural use only for one of the preceding years instead of 5 of 7
    • Article VIII, Section 1-s-1, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 23, Subchapter D, Texas Property Tax Code

CONCLUSION 36:14 How I can afford to do this