Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told the audience at a grassroots conservative event in North Texas to vote for the City of Colleyville’s incumbents after hearing they support property tax reform.
During Monday’s meeting of the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party, Patrick spoke about Senate Bill 2, which would put in place an automatic election trigger for any property tax hikes over 2.5 percent. Patrick recalled how a vast majority of local officials came to Austin and testified against the bill. That prompted Colleyville Mayor Richard Newton to stand up and say he wasn’t one of them.
Newton, joined by Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Lindamood, Place 1 Councilwoman Tammy Nakamura, and Place 2 Councilman George Dodson, said not only was he not against the pro-taxpayer reform, but he is the only northeast Texas mayor supporting SB 2 and its companion bill in the Texas House, House Bill 2.
Last month, the entire Colleyville City Council voted unanimously to support HB 2 and SB 2.
“Elect these guys forever,” Patrick told the crowd to raucous applause.
Earlier, Newton and Lindamood had introduced themselves to the crowd at NETTP and recounted their record of fiscal conservatism that includes adopting the effective tax rate this fiscal year, meaning taxpayers in Colleyville will not pay more to the city in property taxes than they did the previous year.
Newton, Lindamood, and Nakamura, up for re-election this year, were part of the Colleyville uprising that installed a united council and mayor focused on the needs of the taxpayers and not government.
Under their leadership, the city expanded core services while still finding savings in the budget and delivered on their goal of adopting the effective tax rate.
All three incumbents are facing opponents to their re-election this year.
Early voting in Colleyville’s May 4 municipal election begins April 22.
