In the past three years, tax rates across various entities in Rusk County have shown notable shifts and, in at least one instance, have erupted into controversy.
Let’s start with a bright spot in the county.
The City of New London saw the most substantial decrease in Rusk County, with its rate dropping from 1.132819 in 2019 to 0.824210 in 2022. Unlike tax rate decreases in other counties, where potential savings due to rate decreases are eaten up by appraisal increases, this led to an overtax cut to taxpayers.
However, not all of the taxing entities in Rusk County were so good to their residents.
The City of Easton has roughly doubled the tax burden on its citizens from 2019 to 2022. The city increased from a rate of 0.25 per $100 valuation in 2019 to 0.465630 in 2022. This change, coupled with a modest increase in appraised valuations, resulted in a significant relative increase in the tax burden for residents.
Meanwhile, Tatum ISD proposed a VATRE (Voter-Approval Tax Ratification Election) election in 2024, a contest that included claims of the district misleading voters and skirting state law to increase taxes. Controversially, the school district operated its own election inside of the district’s administration building.
Several voters complained that they did not know where the election was taking place. Unsurprisingly, the measure passed with 80 percent of the vote.
Election watchdogs have called for reforms to the Texas election code, including centralizing administration of elections with the county elections office. Christine Welborn with Advancing Integrity called the practice of tax entities like Tatum ISD running their own elections “rife for abuse.”
West Rusk ISD tried and failed to pass a bond initiative during the 2024 election cycle. However, the school district is already approaching taxpayers to figure out how to rerun the bond initiative. The practice of try and try again until a bond passes is common.
Garrison ISD had a significant increase in its tax rate, rising from 1.063830 in 2019 to 1.315400 in 2022, but the net increase in taxes was minimal, thanks to a drop in taxable values. This held overall taxes stable, with taxpayers paying on average just $5 more.
Three entities in Rusk County have taxpayer-funded lobbyists: the county itself and the cities of Henderson and Kilgore.
Republican lawmakers have pledged to end the practice during the 2025 legislative session.
This isn’t a departure from previous sessions, and the party platform has called for abolishing the practice for years, but the Texas House has killed measures intended to accomplish this in previous legislative sessions.
Activists have long contended that using tax dollars to lobby for increased taxation (by opposing property tax appraisal and rate caps) is morally reprehensible.
From now until tax day in 2025, Texas Scorecard will report on counties across the state, highlighting local officials who are working to lighten, or at the very least not add to, property taxpayers’ burdens.
Conversely, public servants who have added to taxpayers’ already burdensome load will also come under scrutiny.
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