Odessa City Council members plan to vote on a resolution opposing property tax reform at Tuesday’s city council meeting, a move that confirms their opposition to giving taxpayers more control over their property taxes.
Two identical bills in the Texas Legislature, House Bill 2 and Senate Bill 2, attempt to reform the state’s property tax system by putting in place a trigger for an automatic vote by residents on property tax hikes over 2.5 percent and implementing accountability measures for appraisal districts and tax notices.
The measures are strongly supported by Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen, and the Republican Party of Texas.
Associations representing local governments, however, have made opposing property tax reform a top legislative priority, claiming it’s an attempt by the legislature to circumvent local control despite residents being the only “entities” to gain more control if the bills are implemented.
In lockstep with the Texas Municipal League, which lobbies on behalf of Texas cities and is funded by local tax dollars, Odessa City Council is planning to make a public declaration of their opposition to the vote trigger “and legislative interference with local services,” according to Tuesday’s agenda.
City Council will meet at City Hall at 6 p.m., February 26.
